Summary
Nimba and Grand Gedeh Counties will hold their senatorial and representative by-elections tomorrow, April 23, 2024. The consolidation of Liberia’s democracy depends equally on the results of these two elections. Thus, the USAID-supported LIDEO activity implemented by the ECC calls on citizens of Nimba and Grand Gedeh District #1 to conduct themselves peacefully in the same manner as the presidential run-off elections.
This by-election, as required by the constitution, is being held to fill the vacancies created by the election of Jeremiah Kpan Koung as vice president and the death of Representative, Erol Madison Gwion. Therefore, the ECC has trained and will deploy 60 short-term observers to report on election day processes, including the observation of the set-up and opening of the polls as well as the voting, counting, and tallying procedures.
For these elections, the NEC nominated four senatorial candidates, all male for the Nimba Senatorial by-election while there are 15 representative candidates contesting the Grand Gedeh electoral district one by-election. Unlike Nimba, there are three women contesting the representative by-election in Grand Gedeh.
With over 300,000 registered voters, Nimba County is the second-largest senatorial seat in the nation. As such, the senatorial by-election is anticipated to be a momentous one. However, there are concerns about the inclusivity of the electoral process with no female candidates running for office.
The ECC commends the NEC and other stakeholders who continue to positively engage voters to ensure adequate turnout on Election Day. The ECC has observed efforts to increase awareness and educate voters through civic and voter education (CVE) campaigns carried out by local civil society organizations and the NEC CVE cells. ECC further commends the NEC for the timely delivery of election materials to both counties and the national security for its presence in providing security for these processes.
During the observation of campaign rallies for the by-elections, ECC observers did not record any incidents of violence or provocative remarks. Therefore, the ECC requests all political actors to continue to uphold the Farmington Declaration and preserve the peace during all phases of the electoral process. If candidates have complaints about the election results, they are urged to follow the due process of law, while their supporters remain calm.
The ECC also wishes to remind the NEC that its observers who are deployed convey reports primarily using their phones and appeal to polling officials to allow short-term observers to use their phones to conduct the observation. The ECC equally hopes that the recently concluded training of NEC polling officials will ensure adherence to polling procedures such as correctly sorting and reconciliation of the ballots during the counting process. ECC is aware of the challenges faced by some poll workers during the recent elections and admonishes the NEC officials to increase supervision and proper conduct of the process.
ECC Election Day Observation and Deployment Plan
Sixty-60 short-term observers have been trained and deployed to observe the by-elections in both Nimba and Grand Gedeh Counties. Of these, 48 have been deployed specifically in Nimba to observe the conduct of the Senatorial by-election. In contrast, 12 have been deployed in Grand Gedeh electoral district #1 for the representative by-election. Additionally, there will be observers posted at the NEC’s magisterial offices in both counties to report on the tally of results and the adjudication of any electoral petitions that may arise. The ECC will issue a statement following its observation of these by-elections, followed by a comprehensive report. However, there will be additional posting of situational graphics, about the process on election day.
The ECC encourages the National Elections Commission (NEC) to communicate to the public in a timely manner all information related to the tallying and transmission of election results while candidates are urged to deploy their agents to monitor the processes. Finally, the ECC implores security officers to be patient with voters on election day and respond professionally in managing any incident that may arise. ###
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’s 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 does not necessarily reflect the views of USAID or the United States Government.”
Download a copy of the ECC release here: ECC Pre- Election Day Statement_2024 by-elections