Jean Mensa, the Chairperson of the Electoral Commission, has called on electoral management bodies in Africa to work towards zero rejected ballots to advance democracy on the continent.

She said the high incidence of rejected ballots in Africa "is a blot on our democracy" and emphasised the need for electoral management bodies (EMB) to work to "ensure that every vote counts." Mensa made the call in an interview with the media at the end of the 12th General Assembly of the Association Africa Election Authorities in Accra on Friday.

The meeting crowned the Ninth Annual Continental Forum for Electoral Management Bodies, hosted by Ghana's Electoral Commission in Accra, from March 12 to 13, 2025.

Mensa said the Forum unanimously acknowledged the worrying nature of the high incidence of rejected ballots in national elections, which had the potential to undermine the credibility of elections on the continent.