The National Elections Commission (NEC) has submitted a US$91,958,547.72 (ninety-one million nine hundred fifty-eight thousand five hundred forty-seven United States dollars and seventy-two cents) budget to the National Legislature for the biometric system to conduct voter registration and election for the 2023 legislative and presidential elections.
The draft budget, which was submitted to the Legislature on Tuesday, June 1, 2021 during the House’s regular session, is under the signature of Davidetta Browne Lansanah. The draft budget was separately submitted to the Honorable House of Representatives and the Liberian Senate.
“I convey compliments on behalf of the National Elections Commission (NEC), and in keeping with Section 11.2 of the election law, herewith submit the budget for the 2023 presidential and legislative elections for consideration and approval,” the letter attached to the draft budget reads.
According to the draft budget, the biometric voter registration pilot project allotment is US$3,968,304.8, biometric voter registration, US$29,680,200.0, public information, US$795,590, geographic information system, US$561,932.4, data center, US$3,442,340, civil voter education activities, US$6,881,655, gender voter education, US$1,308,510, election 2023, US$16,560,425.4, presidential run-off election, US$12,062,333, operations (headquarters), US$8,932,053.5, operation (field), US$3,454,682.8, personnel and related expenditure, US$3,838,680, and monitoring and evaluation, US$471,840.5.
The draft budget also contained the estimated population, eligible voters, estimated polling places, estimated voting precincts, maximum voters per polling place, maximum voters per polling precinct, registration teams, NEC headquarters, and counties and magistrate offices.
Following the reading of the communication, a motion was made by Margibi County Representative, Ivan Jones, to turn over the NEC draft budget to the House’s joint committee on Ways, Means and Finance, Public Account and the Executive for proper review and reporting back to plenary for prompt legislative action.