The National Elections Commission (NEC), having ended Phase Two of the Biometric Voter Registration on May 11, 2023, has released the preliminary results pending deduplication and adjudication.
The NEC has released the following preliminary results as registrants in various counties: Bong, 237,463; Grand Gedeh, 64,061; Grand Kru, 42,729; Lofa, 177,892; Maryland, 69,034; Nimba, 308,421; River Gee, 37,912; Rivercess, 40,201; and Sinoe, 56,011, totaling 1,033,724.
According to a NEC release, “As was indicated during the release of the Preliminary Results for Phase One, these figures are also subject to change following the completion of the deduplication and adjudication process. The public is assured that in the coming days the Final Preliminary Results of the fifteen (15) counties of Liberia will be released prior to the Exhibition of the Preliminary Registration Roll (PRR). It is this total preliminary result that will be exhibited at the 2080 Exhibition Centers in the fifteen (15) counties.”
On a related note, the NEC said it is pleased to inform Liberians and all stakeholders that, as per the electoral calendar, the Exhibition of the Provisional Registration Roll will begin on June 12 and end on June 17, 2023. During this period, all 2080 registration centers will become exhibition centers and will be opened from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. daily.
The purpose of the Exhibition, the NEC said, is to give registrants the opportunity to reaffirm their registration details and request corrections where necessary. “Registrants appearing at the exhibition centers will be informed about the next procedure regarding their inquiries,” the NEC release stated.
The exhibition process, the NEC continued, is also intended for Liberians to vet the Provisional Roll and, where necessary, object, with proof, to persons they believe are ineligible to be on the voters’ roll. The NEC encouraged all registrants to visit the registration centers where they registered to verify their information, as this will also help ensure accuracy, transparency, inclusiveness and integrity of the voters roll.
“Distinguished stakeholders, the NEC also uses this opportunity to inform political parties, coalitions, alliances and independent aspirants that, based on the electoral timeline the nomination of candidates for the 10 October 2023 General Elections will begin on 14 June 2023 and end at 5:00 PM on 14 July 2023, with no extension. All political parties, coalitions, alliances and independent aspirants are advised to take advantage of this one-month period to complete their nomination process.
“The Commission extends its thanks and appreciation to all Liberians, the Ministry of Justice and security apparatus and our partners (national, regional and international), temporary and permanent staff of the National Elections Commission for their enthusiastic participation and assistance in the conduct of biometric voter registration in Liberia.
“Finally, as per the earlier pronouncement, the commission reiterates that documentation of violations of the campaign regulations is on-going, since 5 May 2023. The commission also notes that since the issuance of the 15 May 2023 ultimatum for would-be aspirants to remove or take down their paraphernalia, the Commission, in monitoring, observed that in many of the fifteen (15) counties it is unheeded. The commission notes that it will apply appropriate measures for these violations. The commission reminds all aspirants that the campaign period runs from 5 August 2023 to 8 October 2023.
“In closing, the commission again thanks and assures all Liberians, all stakeholders and electoral actors that the NEC will continue to work with you to the successful conclusion of the 2023 electoral process,” the NEC release observed.