Elections 2024: SDA Church requests that the AG sponsor a bill to move the election day from Saturday, December 7

The Attorney General’s office has been requested by the Seventh-day Adventist (SDA) Church leadership to sponsor a bill that would change Saturday, December 7, 2024, election day to reflect that it is the Sabbath Day for worshipping God.

However, in order to guarantee an inclusive democratic process that would not purposefully prevent others from exercising their right to vote, the Church suggested that the election take place on the first or second Tuesday in November.

According to the Church, this bill’s nature justifies its sponsorship by the Attorney General (Executive) and the Office of the Ministry of Justice. In light of this, I have requested to meet with the Honourable Minister.

The Church stated that as a result of its fruitful interactions with the EC, the amendment is now required. The Constitutional Review Commission (CRC) in 2011 and the Electoral Reforms Committee in 2015 made proposals that are the basis for the church’s stance.

“The Electoral Reform Committee (2015) and the Constitutional Review Commission (2011) recommended holding elections “not later than 60 days to the installation of a new President and Parliament on January 7,” citing in particular (i) Paragraph 265 on page 193. (ii) According to the church, the ECRC recommended changing the date in Proposal 8 from “December 7 to November 7 on pages 10 and 11.”

“The Seventh-Day Adventist Church (SDA) is proposing the ‘Ghana Elections’ Date Amendment Bill,’ which would amend the non-entrenched Article 112(4) for Parliamentary elections to meet the period guaranteed in Article 63(2) for Presidential elections.”

Encountering the Commission on Elections 

The Church met with the Electoral Commission in June of last year in an attempt to secure the modification of the election day of December 7.

A section of the petition to the AG states, “The leadership of the Seventh-day Adventist Church met with the Electoral Commission (EC) on Wednesday, June 7, 2023, in anticipation of changing the date for general elections from December 7 to the first (1st) or second (2nd) Tuesday of November.”

“In a general election year, the Church suggested to the EC moving the date from December 7 to the first or second Tuesday of November. The meeting with the EC had a positive outcome. The SDA Church emphasised that the Commission had assured its leadership that it would be willing to examine the proposal.

The Adventist Church states that this proposal aims to “ensure that no one is excluded from participating in the electoral process and help deepen electoral democracy.”