The Institute for Legal Research and Advocacy for Justice (ILRAJ) has called on the Electoral Commission for Sierra Leone (ECSL) to address voter concerns over the sub-oar voter ID cards.

ILRAJ stated that by all accounts, the 2023 voter identification cards produced by ECSL are substandard and mediocre.

“Many cards contain errors, such as incorrect gender and blurred photos, making identifying the voter difficult or impossible. This would have been comical if it were not so costly,” they stated.

According to them, the security features on these cards are questionable at best.

“A high-quality voter identification card should contain holograms or other visible and invisible marks that cannot be easily replicated or forged,” ILRAJ stated.

“Moreover, the QR code on the card should facilitate quick and accurate identification of the voter and not just repeat the registration number.”

ILRAJ maintained that the poor management and printing of the voter identification cards raise serious concerns for the upcoming elections and could lead to severe consequences.

They stated that “These mistakes in the voter identification process can create confusion and frustration among voters and could potentially result in voter suppression if eligible voters are wrongly deemed ineligible to vote.”

“This could ultimately lead to an increase in disputes and challenges during and after the election process, eroding the credibility of the elections.”

ILRAJ then called on ECSL to take immediate steps to address these issues and ensure that voter registration cards are accurate and high-quality. They added that the commission should reissue cards to affected voters or provide alternative identification options at polling stations.

“Given the short timeframe before the election, the ECSL must act promptly and transparently so that voters can have confidence in the accuracy and impartiality of the electoral process,” ILRAJ stated.

“Additionally, it is crucial that the ECSL provides clear and accessible information to voters on how to verify their registration status and address any issues they may encounter before and during the voting process.”

On Friday 7 April 2023, ECSL commenced the distribution of voter registration cards in 3,630 registration centers in the country ahead of the 24 June general elections.

“The public is reminded that this is a ten-day exercise scheduled to end on 16th April 2023. The Commission encourages all to be patient and exercise restraint during this period,” ECSL stated.

After receiving their Voter ID Cards, most of the citizens took to social media to express their disappointment.

“Shameful that ECSL cannot even make decent ID Cards,” Ishmael Conteh blasted on social media.

“Despite bluffing that the ID Cards were printed in Greece, the quality of the cards has proved that they were printed in Sierra Leone,” he added.

“How come the ECSL dare say the Voter ID Cards were printed in Greece with so much money involved? They said they spent millions of dollars to produce them, but the quality is very poor,” Anusumana Bangura lamented.

ECSL, however, stated that their Situation Room is open and will be responding to issues as and when they occur. They further encouraged the public to call their Situation Room on 838 across all mobile networks for any inquiries.

The Commission further stated that they will be holding a press conference this week to update the public on the card distribution process.