This Current African Issue gives an overview of the causes and experiences of election related violence in relation to patronage politics in Ghana. Ghana has been framed by the international community as a unique bastion of democracy and peace on the African continent. Nevertheless, the country has come from a military regime like many of its democratic African counterparts and is still prone to some of the problems faced by its more turbulent neighbours. The three main guiding issues that this publication will address in relation to election-related violence in Ghana are: The causes of election-related violence in Ghana Who the people most likely to cause election-related violence are The role that "big men" play in election-related violence