Editorial: After Peaceful October 10 Election, November 14 Run-Off

𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐈𝐑𝐏𝐄𝐑𝐒𝐎𝐍 𝐎𝐅 the National Elections Commission (NEC), Davidetta Browne Lansanah, told the nation on Tuesday, October 24, 2023 that Article 83 (b) of the Constitution requires that for any presidential ticket to win outright on the first ballot that ticket must acquire at least 50 percent plus one of the valid votes cast. Article 83 (b) further states that where no presidential ticket obtains at least 50 percent plus one, the two presidential tickets that received the highest number of valid votes shall participate in a run-off election, to be held on the second Tuesday following the expiration of the time provided for in Article 83 (c).

“𝐖𝐈𝐓𝐇 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐑𝐄𝐒𝐔𝐋𝐓𝐒 of the October 10 polls showing that no presidential ticket obtained 50 percent plus one vote, a run-off election is hereby declared, to be held on Tuesday, November 14, 2023 between the two tickets that obtained the highest number of votes–the presidential ticket of the Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC), led by Mr. George Manneh Weah, and the presidential ticket of the Unity Party (UP), led by Mr. Joseph Nyumah Boakai,” Chairperson Lansanah stated.

𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐈𝐑𝐏𝐄𝐑𝐒𝐎𝐍 𝐁𝐑𝐎𝐖𝐍𝐄 𝐋𝐀𝐍𝐒𝐀𝐍𝐀𝐇 announced a run-off between the Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC) and the Unity Party (UP) due to the fact that the two parties obtained the highest votes in the October 10, 2023 general and presidential elections, but with none accumulating the required 50%+1 vote to be declared winner.

𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐍𝐄𝐂 𝐁𝐎𝐒𝐒 disclosed that the results of the October 10, 2023 polls show that the ticket of the Congress for Democratic Change (CDC) obtained the highest number of votes, 804,087, constituting 43.83%, followed by the ticket of the Unity Party (UP), which obtained 796,961 votes, constituting 43.44%. She declared that the political campaign for the November 14 run-off election begins on Tuesday, October 24, 2023 and closes on Sunday, November 12, 2023 at 11:59 p.m.

𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐍𝐄𝐂 𝐁𝐎𝐒𝐒 noted that election day, October 10, 2023, was characterized by a record high turnout of 1,949,155 voters, which constitutes 78.86 percent of the 2,471,617 total registered voters. “This huge turnout is unprecedented in Liberia’s modern democratic election history and it is due, in part, to the Commission’s successful transition from the Optical Mark Recognition (OMR) system of voter registration to the use of biometric technology for the registration of voters, which produced an excellent Final Registration Roll for the 10 October Elections,” she stated.