Afrobarometer Survey Shows
As Ghana prepares for general elections in December, honesty, character, and campaign promises stand out as top factors shaping voters’ choices, according to the latest Afrobarometer survey.
Most Ghanaians prioritise a candidate’s honesty, followed by those who value the candidate’s character and their campaign promises.
A majority of Ghanaians say they plan to vote for both presidential and parliamentary candidates from the same political party. In contrast, a small portion are likely to split their votes between different parties, with even fewer considering independent candidates.
Despite concerns about reported political violence, most Ghanaians report having little or no fear of political intimidation or violence during the 2020 campaign period. Overall, Ghanaians continue to view elections as the best method for selecting their leaders.
Key findings
- A candidate’s honesty (90%), character (88%), and campaign promises (59%) are the three major factors that Ghanaians say will influence their choices in the December 2024 general elections (Figure 1).
- A majority (58%) of Ghanaians say they will vote for presidential and parliamentary candidates from the same political party. Only 15% say they will vote for presidential and parliamentary candidates from different political parties, while 6% say they will vote for independent presidential and parliamentary candidates (Figure 2).
- More than eight in 10 Ghanaians (85%) indicate they had little or no fear of falling victim to political intimidation or violence during campaigns in the last general election, while 14% say they feared it “somewhat” or “a lot” (Figure 3).
- Most Ghanaians (81%) consider elections the best way to choose their leaders. Support for elections has consistently exceeded 80% for the past two decades (Figure 4).
Afrobarometer surveys
Afrobarometer is a pan-African, non-partisan survey research network that provides reliable data on African experiences and evaluations of democracy, governance, and quality of life. Nine survey rounds in up to 42 countries have been completed since 1999. Round 10 were launched in January 2024. Afrobarometer’s national partners conduct face-to-face interviews in the language of the respondent’s choice.
The Afrobarometer team in Ghana, led by the Ghana Center for Democratic Development, interviewed a nationally representative sample of 2,400 adult Ghanaians in August 2024. A sample of this size yields country-level results with a margin of error of +/-2 percentage points at a 95% confidence level. Previous surveys were conducted in Ghana in 1999, 2002, 2005, 2008, 2012, 2014, 2017, 2019, and 2022.