MONROVIA — The Election Coordination Committee (ECC) has released its initial observation report regarding the ongoing electoral proceedings in the country.
Established in 2010, the Elections Coordinating Committee (ECC) stands as Liberia’s largest domestic election observation network, boasting a wide range of competencies, experiences, and expertise in democracy, elections, and governance. During a news conference, ECC officials disclosed their findings, indicating that Liberians turned out to vote, and the process remained peaceful through midday. However, the delivery of voting materials experienced delays in certain localized zones, leading to the delayed opening of polling places.
Addressing the press in Liberia, Mr. Oscar Bloe, the Executive Director of ECC, stated that this midday update is derived from reports received by ECC from 1,159 out of the 1,200 (96%) Stationary Observers who were deployed to their respective polling places nationwide by 2:00 pm on October 10, 2023.
This report primarily focuses on the setup and opening of polling places, with the percentages reflecting observations made by ECC observers, proportionally distributed across electoral districts, providing credible data on national trends.
Mr. Bloe emphasized, “At this time, the ECC has received 96% of reports from its 1200 Stationary Observers. Upon arrival at Polling Places, 98% of ECC observers were permitted to access and observe at their designated polling stations.”
He noted that while ECC observers were not allowed to use their phones in certain locations due to the NEC’s directive prohibiting phones in polling places, they primarily utilized their phones to submit observation reports to the ECC Data Center.
Mr. Bloe revealed that by 6:00 am, 93% of all ECC Observers had arrived at their assigned polling places, with 94% of those places reporting the presence of NEC polling officials. Moreover, queues of voters outside the voting precinct at 6:00 am were reported in 93% of the observed locations.
Regarding the commencement of voting, Mr. Bloe stated, “ECC observers reported that voting generally commenced on time (before 8:15 am) in 94% of the observed polling places, 4% of polling places opened with a slight delay between 8:15 and 10 am; however, 2% of polling places were still not open at 10 am.”
The ECC leader clarified that the delayed openings and disturbances were primarily caused by logistical challenges and the late delivery of voting materials. He also noted that late delivery was more prevalent in Grand Bassa, Sinoe, and Rivercess counties, resulting in a relatively late opening of polling places.
However, Mr. Bloe pointed out that the majority of polling places observed had the necessary sensitive voting materials, including the FRR, ballot papers, indelible ink to prevent multiple voting, and accounting forms.
ECC’s observers reported the absence of tactile ballot guides for visually impaired voters in 11% of observed polling places. Furthermore, ECC commended the NEC for having women make up 48% of polling staff at observed polling places.
In 37% of observed polling places, voters needed to use stairs to access the polling area, potentially posing challenges for persons with disabilities or the elderly. However, security personnel were present in 98% of polling places with ECC observers, a fact that Mr. Bloe commended as the provision of security is the responsibility of internal security agencies.
The ECC Data Center continues to collect critical incident reports from all 1592 observers, which are being processed continually.
In conclusion, while the voting process has been peaceful, ECC acknowledges that there have been challenges, including isolated tension at polling places due to queue management issues and delayed openings in some precincts. ECC remains committed to monitoring the process and will provide further updates in the future.