Election Underscores Ghana's Democratic Reputation Voters in Ghana selected their next president Friday in a ballot expected to mark the sixth transparent election in this West African nation, known as a beacon of democracy in a tumultuous region. Proud of their democratic heritage, residents of this balmy, seaside capital trudged to the polls more than four hours before the sun was even up, standing inches apart in queues that in some places stretched 1,000-people deep. By afternoon, some voters were getting agitated, after polling stations opened late due to the tardy arrival of ballots. In numerous places there were hitches with the use of a new biometric system. Instead of showing their voter card as they had in previous elections, this year for the first time, Ghanaians were using a fingerprint identification method. Each polling station had a single biometric machine, and if it failed to identify the voter, there was no backup. At one polling station where the machine had broken down altogether, a local chief said he'd barely moved a few inches: "I'm 58 years old, and I've been standing in this queue all day," Nana Owusu said. It's not good and it's not fair. This nation of 25 million is, however, deeply attached to its tradition of democracy, and voters were urging each other to remain calm while they waited their turn to choose from one of eight presidential contenders, including President John Dramani Mahama and his main challenger, Nana Akufo-Addo. A woman casts her vote for the presidential election, at a polling station in Accra, Ghana, Friday, Dec. 7, 2012. Ghanaians went to the polls Friday to choose between four candidates, including President John Dramani Mahama, who inherited the top post in July after President John Atta Mills died in office, and Nana Akufo-Addo, who lost the presidency by less than one percent to Mills in 2008. With its coup era over and five peaceful elections under its belt, Ghana is expected to hold a peaceful poll as voters decide which candidate will ensure the country's new-found wealth reaches the poor and middle-class. (AP Photo/Gabriela Barnuevo) Close "Elections remind us how young our democracy is, how fragile it is," said author Martina Odonkor, 44. I think elections are a time when we all lose our cockiness about being such a shining light of democracy in Africa, and we start to get a bit nervous that things could go back to how they used to be. Ghana was once a troubled nation that suffered five coups and decades of stagnation, before turning a corner in the 1990s. It is now a pacesetter for the continent's efforts to become democratic. No other country in the region has had so many elections deemed free and fair, a reputation voters hold close to their hearts. The incumbent Mahama, a former vice president, was catapulted into office in July after the unexpected death of former President John Atta Mills. Before becoming vice president in 2009, the 54-year-old served as a minister and a member of parliament. He's also written an acclaimed biography, recalling Ghana's troubled past, called "My First Coup d'Etat." Akufo-Addo is a former foreign minister and the son of one of Ghana's previous presidents. In 2008, Akufo-Addo lost the last presidential election to Mills by less than 1 percent during a runoff vote. Both candidates are trying to make the case that they will use the nation's oil riches to help the poor. Besides being one of the few established democracies in the region, Ghana also has the fastest-growing economy. But a deep divide still exists between those benefiting from the country's oil, cocoa and mineral wealth and those left behind financially. A group of men who had just voted gathered at a small bar a block away from a polling station in the middle class neighborhood of South Labadi. Danny Odoteye, 36, who runs the bar, said that the country's economic progress is palpable and that the ruling party, and its candidate, are responsible for ushering in a period of growth. "I voted for John Mahama," he said. Ghana is a prosperous country. Everything is moving smoothly.