MONROVIA – Madam Davidetta Browne-Lansanah, Chairperson of the National Elections Commission (NEC), has issued a warning that, without proper attention, the upcoming October 10, 2023 election could see a significant rise in invalid votes. She attributes this potential problem to what she refers to as “transferred aggression” resulting from the ongoing actions involving the tearing down of political parties’ billboards and posters by their opponents.
By Henry Karmo, [email protected]
Chairperson Browne-Lansanah made this statement on Thursday during an address to a gathering of stakeholders. Her comments are rooted in the current trend of individuals tearing down campaign posters and banners of candidates they view as their opponents.
She remarked, “This aggression may spill over into the voting process. We’ve witnessed spoiled ballots and similar acts of aggression on a smaller scale in past elections, including instances where individuals punctured the eyes, mouth, and ears of candidates on ballots they did not support.”
“We must address this harmful aggression. We need to engage with our people,” she emphasized. “The NEC is not a political institution, but we operate within the realm of politics to ensure free, fair, and credible elections. We cannot afford a situation where people claim their ballots were valid when they have engaged in actions that might invalidate their votes on election day.”
Chairperson Browne-Lansanah also revealed that a survey conducted by the NEC has shown instances where voters wrote telephone numbers and used profane language on the faces of candidates on ballot papers. She expressed concerns that if this behavior is already observed on campaign posters, it may carry over to the ballots themselves. She urged everyone to be vigilant, stating, “If we find too many spoiled ballots, the blame should not fall on the NEC.”
In her closing remarks, she cautioned political parties and individuals to provide voter education for their supporters. She emphasized that any actions involving marking the faces or using profanity would result in votes being considered invalid and, consequently, not counted.
Chairperson Browne-Lansanah’s warning serves as a reminder of the importance of maintaining civility and respecting the electoral process to ensure the integrity of the upcoming election on October 10, 2023.
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