Ghana’s vice president, Mahamudu Bawumia, and former president John Mahama are set to contest a highly competitive presidential election today, with voting open from 0700 to 1700 GMT. This election comes as Ghana faces significant economic challenges, including a recent debt default, high inflation, and reliance on a $3 billion IMF bailout, making the economy a pivotal issue for voters.

Bawumia, representing the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP), has focused on stabilizing the economy and promoting digitalization and free education. He aims to secure an unprecedented third term for the NPP, despite criticisms tied to his role in the government’s economic management. Inflation has decreased from over 50% to around 23%, but many citizens remain dissatisfied with the high cost of living and job scarcity.

Mahama, the National Democratic Congress (NDC) candidate and former president, is running on a platform to "reset" Ghana by extending industrial hours and fostering a "24-hour economy." While he capitalizes on public frustration with the NPP’s economic policies, he faces scrutiny from his previous tenure, which was marred by power shortages.

Both candidates hail from northern Ghana, a traditionally NDC-leaning region that is now a crucial battleground due to political fragmentation. Key concerns in the election also include illegal gold mining, which has harmed Ghana’s rivers and cocoa farmlands, and security risks from jihadist conflicts in neighboring countries.

The results of the presidential election are expected by Tuesday, alongside parliamentary outcomes, as Ghana continues its history of peaceful transitions between the NPP and NDC since 1992.