The National Elections Commission (NEC) says it is pleased to announce that all ballot papers for the 2020 Special Senatorial Elections, Constitutional Referendum and two Representative By-elections in District 9, Montserrado County, and District #2, Sinoe County, have arrived in the country.
According to the National Elections Commission, the last batch of ballot papers arrived in the country on Wednesday, December 2, 2020, onboard a special charter flight, Passion Air, via the Roberts International Airport (RIA) from Accra, Ghana.
As mentioned in the NEC statement on Monday, November 30, 2020, the total number of ballot papers printed for the elections are as follows:
- Special Senatorial Elections ballots: three million two hundred seventy-nine thousand one hundred (3,279,100);
- Constitutional Referendum: three million two hundred sixty-seven thousand (3,267,000);
- District #9, Montserrado County by-election ballots: Sixty-six thousand five hundred fifty (66,550); and
- District #2, Sinoe County ballots: thirty thousand, two hundred fifty (30,250).
Meanwhile, deployment of election materials, including ballot papers, have begun. All election materials for southern counties of Maryland, Grand Kru, River Gee, Grand Gedeh and Sinoe have left the NEC central warehouse for the counties.
Additionally, the Commission disclosed that it has intensified its Civic Voter Education activities through community engagements across the country. At the same time, the NEC on December 3, 2020 ended a two-day training for 21 Dispute Hearing Officers, 22 Hearing Clerks and 1 Ministerial Officer.
“Ladies and gentlemen of the press, the Commission, with support from the United Nations Development Program (UNDP), has ended four separate Training of Trainers
Workshops for party agents and independent candidates on Polling and Counting Procedures. The trainings were conducted in Ganta, Nimba County, Buchanan, Grand Bassa County, Tubmanburg, Bomi County, and Monrovia, Montserrado County.
“Additionally, the Gender Section of the Commission has ended three separate training of trainers workshops on the use of the tactile ballot guide for members of the disabled community in Ganta, Nimba County, Tubmanburg, Bomi County, and Buchanan, Grand Bass County. Also with support from the German Government through the UNDP, the Communication Section conducted three separate workshops for Media Practitioners on Elections Reporting,” a NEC release noted.
The Commission has assured all Liberians that all logistical preparations leading to the December 8 polls are proceeding according to plan.
The Commission called on all 2.4 million registered voters to turn out on Tuesday, December 8,2020, to exercise their franchise in the Special Senatorial Elections, Constitutional Referendum, Representatives By-elections in District 9, Montserrado County, and District 2, Sinoe County.
The Commission also urged all registered voters to observe the Ministry of Health’s COVID-19 protocol, including wearing of masks and social distancing, and to adopt a nonviolent posture during these elections.
