Watch Ghana 2016 Election Coverage Live Online: Where To Find Streaming Video For Wednesday’s Presidential Vote

Those who want to watch Ghana 2016 presidential election coverage live online will be in luck, with a few providers offering streaming video coverage of the voting for those unable to make it to a television.

Wednesday’s election is seen as an important referendum on the Western African nation’s economy. The nation has suffered four years of stagnation under President John Mahama, as oil and commodity prices have declined and the nation has faced difficulty with unemployment and infrastructure in need of repair.

Polls in Ghana opened at 7 a.m. GMT and are closing at 5 p.m. GMT, although it could take quite a while to determine the winner. The nation has seen some very close elections in recent years, Al Jazeera noted, including in 2012 when Mahama won with 50.7 percent of the vote.

Live streaming video coverage of the 2016 Ghana presidential election can be seen below from Joy News Live. Other options for live online election coverage can be found below.

Mahama is expected to face a strong challenge from the former foreign minister, Nana Akufo-Addo, who is now running for president for a third time and has built up grassroots support across the nation.

Mahama has a number of major projects that he has touted to voters, but Al Jazeera noted that this growth has come as the country fell deeper into debt.

“Throughout the election campaign, the president approved a series of major and eye-catching infrastructure projects to prove to voters that government spending was not going to waste or being stolen,” said Al Jazeera’s Nicholas Haque, reporting from Accra. “But the trouble is Ghana is spending more than it can afford. There are hospitals left half built. Despite pressing need for medical staff, the state can’t afford to pay nurses or doctors any more.”

Voting begins in Ghana's election as Mahama runs for second term https://t.co/vO8HA1CBL0 pic.twitter.com/uzX4hJD7bt

— Ramon Morell (@ramonmorell) December 7, 2016

Although it is expected to be a tight race between Mahama and Nana Akufo-Addo, there is another candidate gaining attention. Nana Konadu Agyeman-Rawlings, the wife of former Ghana leader Jerry Rawlings, is the first woman to ever run for president in the African nation.

Nana Rawlings Becomes First Woman To Run For President In Ghana – https://t.co/bVE1XKHLju pic.twitter.com/yetq697s53

— HF Magazine (@HF_Magazine) December 7, 2016

As the Telegraph noted, there are many similarities between Rawlings and American presidential candidate Hillary Clinton.

“Like Ms Clinton, Mrs Agyeman-Rawlings is a passionate advocate of women’s rights – and has also had to contend with the fact that her charismatic, good-looking spouse has many female admirers.”Today, though, it will be the former First Lady herself who takes centre stage, as Ghana’s 15 million registered voters go to the polls. She is one of six challengers to President John Mahama, who is seeking a second term in office amid rising discontent with the performance of the economy.”

Those who watch coverage of the Ghana 2016 presidential election live online could see more drama than just a close vote. While police in Ghana have given assurances that they will be protecting polling places and stopping those looking to disrupt the process, there have already been reports of violence.

There have been accusations that Mahama’s ruling party is encouraging violence, Al Jazeera reported, although the president denies these claims. But there has already been some violence, including a New Patriotic Party supporter who was beaten to death and six others left in critical condition when supporters of the two parties clashed at a rally on Monday.

Akufo-Addo has also leveled accusations that Mahama and his National Democratic Congress that they have been involved in a series of corruption cases that include a number of judges, Al Jazeera added.

Those who want to watch Ghana 2016 presidential election coverage live online can click here for streaming video through GTV, the national public broadcaster, which is run by the Ghana Broadcasting Corporation.

[Featured Image by Sunday Alamba/AP Images]