NEC Says All Is Set For The Crucial Poll
PHOTO: One of thousands of polling centers waiting to receive voters on Tuesday
By J. Peter S. Dennis, dennisrealone@gmail.com
Liberians are expected to head to the polls today, today, Tuesday, November 2023 to either retain incumbent President George Weah of the CDC or democratically vote him out of office and elect the leader of the main opposition UP, who is a former Liberian vice president in the scheduled runoff election.
The National Elections Commission (NEC) on Monday said all is set for the conduct of the election and ballots and other election materials are being deployed to all 5,980 polling centers in the 15 counties. According to NEC, there are over 2.4 million registered voters who are eligible to cast their ballots.
Polls are due to open at 8am GMT and close at 6pm.
Locally and internationally, there are calls on both politicians and voters to ensure a peaceful election.
The runoff election was necessitated based on the two top candidates’ failure to obtain 50% plus one ballot to be declared as winner on October 10.
President Weah garnered 804,087 votes constituting 43.83% while his main rival Boakai oobtained 796,961 votes constituting 43.44% of the total valid votes, according to an NEC data.
Article 83 B of the revised constitution of Liberia says “all elections of public officers shall be determined by an absolute majority of the votes casts. If no candidate obtains an absolute majority in the first ballot, a second ballot shall be conducted on the second Tuesday following. The two candidates who received the greatest numbers of votes on the first ballot shall be designated to participate in the runoff election”.
So far, NEC, the electoral body in Liberia has deployed over thirty five thousand (35,000) temporary staff across the country with those required electoral materials including ballot papers, ballot boxes, amongst others.
Many of the polling places covered across Bong County are setup ahead of the November 14 runoff elections.
Copies of the Final Registration Roll (FRR) are already being posted at each polling place as voters are trooping to verify their information.
Meanwhile, the National Elections Commission has maintained that “no recording device is allowed in the voting booth on voting day”.
“People Living with Disabilities including elderly people will be given special preference to vote” Madam Davidetta Browne-Lassana, NEC Chairperson stressed in a recent release to the Commission’s temporary staff.
With hours to the process, many believe there will be a low voters’ turnout while others differ considering the critical as well as the neck-to-neck finishing of the two top candidates on October 10.
According to the NEC, over 1.9 million people turned out to vote on October 10.
What’s paramount is the maintenance of the country’s fragile peace as voters head to the polls on tomorrow to exercise their constitutional rights.