The ECC has trained and deployed 49 of the 92 long-term observers from nine (9) counties to observe phase two of the Biometric Voter Registration (BVR) exercise in Lofa, Nimba, Bong, Maryland, Grand Gedeh, Rivercess, Grand Kru, Sinoe, and River Gee counties beginning, April 21 to May 11, 2023. Observer reports will be submitted via coded text messages to the ECC Data Center in Monrovia for verification and analysis.
ECC is also deploying 19 County Coordinators to observe the conduct of Political Parties’ Primaries in all 15 counties.
Observation & Deployment Methodology
Just like phase one, ECC will use both stationary and mobile observation methodologies to observe phase two of the BVR:
Stationary Observation: All electoral district observers will observe designated voter registration centers (VRCs) on specified days, each day, at a different registration center. County Coordinators will observe the Objection and Appeal processes associated with voter registration at the National Elections Commission (NEC) magisterial offices throughout the process. Electoral District Observers will be stationary at their assigned areas for six (6) days and County Coordinators for nine (9) days during the entire voter registration period. Throughout each observation day, they will complete a comprehensive observer checklist and send in reports via coded text message to the ECC’s Data Center.
Mobile Observation: On all other days of the registration process, all ECC county coordinators and electoral district observers will serve as mobile observers within their respective districts and counties, reporting on any critical incident they witness or are reported to them. When an ECC observer witnesses or hears of a critical incident, they will immediately submit a critical incident report to the ECC’s Data Center. All ECC BVR phase two observers were carefully selected, accredited by the NEC and trained on the biometric voter registration procedures.
ECC Reporting and Communication
ECC maintains a Data Center at its Secretariat in Monrovia, where a team of trained data clerks manages the ECC database. All observer reports are received directly into this sophisticated database to reduce data entry errors and speed up data analysis. ECC data clerks are responsible for reviewing and verifying all observer reports (checklists and critical incidents) to ensure accuracy before compiling observation updates and communicating to the public. ECC will issue updates and statements based on observation findings to the public as the process progresses, followed by a comprehensive report. ECC will also regularly update its social media platforms (Facebook and Twitter) with additional information during the process. In addition to updates and a final report on the voter registration process, ECC will immediately share with the appropriate authorities any verified critical incident reports or any relevant information and actions taken to address the issue(s).
About ECC
The Elections Coordinating Committee (ECC) is Liberia’s largest domestic election observation network with diverse competencies, experiences, and expertise in democracy, elections, and governance established since 2010. ECC members include the Center for Democratic Governance (CDG); Center for Media Studies and Peace Building (CEMESP); Center for Conflict Prevention and Peacebuilding (CECPAP); Institute for Research and Democratic Development (IREDD); Naymote Partners for Democratic Development (NAYMOTE-PADD); West Africa Network for Peace Building (WANEP), and the Women NGO Secretariat of Liberia (WONGOSOL). The ECC election observation effort is made possible by the generous support of the American people through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). “The contents of this update are the responsibility of the ECC and do not necessarily reflect the views of USAID or the United States Government”