The Ghana Catholic Bishops' Conference has called on all eligible voters to exercise their franchise in a decorous manner to make the December poll a success.
It said refusing to vote was a denial of potential support for social justice and national progress.
The bishops said this in a communiqué' issued at the end of the 29th annual plenary assembly of the Catholic Bishops' Conference at Goaso on Sunday.
The 10-day conference, attended by 22 bishops drawn from the 19 dioceses of the church, was on the theme, "Peace building in Ghana" and coincided with the 10th anniversary celebration of the Goaso Diocese.
"Voting carelessly or corruptly, whether for a fee or other selfish considerations can support injustice and retrogression", the communiqué said and cautioned non-Ghanaians and Ghanaians under the age of 18 not to attempt to vote.
The bishops advised the police and other security agencies who would be responsible for maintaining peace and order during the election to act professionally and remain absolutely neutral and to take the appropriate actions against trouble makers.
The communiqué emphasized the importance for all political activists to refrain from violent acts in imposing their political views or ideologies in the struggle to gain political supremacy.
"A measure of excitement and partisanship is inevitable and should be permissible during the course of democratic election campaign", it added.
The catholic bishops commended the Electoral Commission (EC) for the measures it had taken so far to ensure peaceful, free, fair, transparent and credible election and expressed the belief that the commission would be provided with all the logistics needed for the success of the election.
The communiqué asked all political parties and the media to refrain from announcing the election results before they are declared by the EC.
It expressed regret at recent political violence in some parts of the country, more especially at Berekum, Suhum, Sankore, Bekwai and Gushiegu and appealed to supporters of political parties to eschew all forms of violence, intolerance and intimidation.