1996 Ghanaian general election

{{short description|none}}

{{Infobox election

| country = Ghana

| previous_election = 1992 Ghanaian presidential election

| previous_year = 1992

| next_election = 2000 Ghanaian general election

| next_year = 2000

| election_date = 7 December 1996

| module = {{Infobox election

| embed = yes

| election_name = Presidential election

| type = presidential

| turnout = 78.31%

| image1 = Jerry Rawlings visits AMISOM 02 (6874167713) (cropped).jpg

| nominee1 = Jerry Rawlings

| party1 = National Democratic Congress (Ghana)

| alliance1 = Progressive Alliance
(NDC–EGLE–DPP)

| popular_vote1 = 4,099,758

| percentage1 = 57.37%

| image2 = John Kufuor 080915-A-8817J-090.JPG

| nominee2 = John Kufuor

| party2 = New Patriotic Party

| alliance2 = Great Alliance
(NPP–NCP)

| popular_vote2 = 2,834,878

| percentage2 = 39.67%

| map_image = 1996 Ghanaian presidential election (percentage by region).svg

| map_caption = Results by region

| title = President

| before_election = Jerry Rawlings

| before_party = National Democratic Congress (Ghana)

| after_election = Jerry Rawlings

| after_party = National Democratic Congress (Ghana)

}}}}{{Politics of Ghana}}

General elections were held in Ghana on 7 December 1996. In the presidential elections, incumbent Jerry Rawlings of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) was re-elected in a single round, defeating John Kufuor of the Great Alliance (led by Kufuor's New Patriotic Party) with 57% of the vote. The NDC retained its majority in Parliament, winning 133 of the 200 seats.Dieter Nohlen, Michael Krennerich & Bernhard Thibaut (1999) Elections in Africa: A data handbook, p435 {{ISBN|0-19-829645-2}}

In contrast to the 1992 general elections, these elections were not mired in controversy.{{Cite journal |last=Lyons |first=Terrence |date=1997 |title=Ghana’s Encouraging Elections: A Major Step Forward |url=https://doi.org/10.1353/jod.1997.0019 |journal=Journal of Democracy |volume=8 |issue=2 |pages=65–77 |doi=10.1353/jod.1997.0019 |issn=1086-3214|url-access=subscription }}{{Cite journal |date=1997 |title=Election Watch |url=https://muse.jhu.edu/pub/1/article/697488 |journal=Journal of Democracy |volume=8 |issue=1 |issn=1086-3214}} In the aftermath of the contentious 1992 elections, several electoral reforms were made with the intent to increase the perceived fairness of the electoral process and put in place measures to prevent fraud.