Are Voters Mind Static? Statistical Analysis of Unremitting Shift of Mind of Ghanaian Voters (2016-2020)

Abstract

Elections play a crucial role in a very democratic society as they provide a means of electing their preferred candidates or leaders. It serves as a mechanism for expressing the collective will of the people and ensuring a peaceful transfer of power. This study therefore seeks to determine the difference between the proportion of votes garnered by the two main political parties during 2016 and 2020 elections. The study employed descriptive research design with two population proportion tests and found that Ghanaian voters in 2020 shifted towards the National Democratic Congress (NDC) at 95% confidence level. Moreover, in 2016, the New Patriotic Party (NPP) defeated the National Democratic Congress (NDC) with close to a million votes. Thus, in 2020 election, the results clearly indicate a shrank in the margin of votes between the two main political parties in Ghana. The results further revealed that during the 2016 and 2020 elections, Ghanaians changed their pattern of voting towards these two political parties. Additionally, the New Patriotic Party lost more votes as compared to what they garnered in the year 2016 at 95% and 99.9% confidence level. Also, the gap of votes between the two main political parties shrank at 95% and 99.9% confidence level. Based on the findings of the study, it was further concluded that political parties should not take the voters for granted and it should be known to political leaders that the voters have now changed their mindset and have shifted from the previously tribalistic line of voting. Therefore, for a political party to remain in power, it must promote good public relations with the masses and good campaign messages or policies that are beneficial to the electorates.