The Electoral Commission for Sierra Leone (ECSL) has responded to concerns from registered voters, relating to the omission of some names from the Provisional List of Voters, photoless registration details and incomplete data in some centres.

This response is made in a press release issued today, Wednesday 30 November 2022.

The press statement reads:

“Pursuant to Section 33 of the Constitution of Sierra Leone, 1991 (Act No. 6 of 1991) and Sections 27 and 28 of the Public Elections Act, 2022 (Act No. 17 of 2022); the Electoral Commission for Sierra Leone (ECSL) hereby wishes to inform the general public that the Exhibition exercise of the Provisional List of Voters (PLV), which commenced on the 24th was concluded on 28th November, 2022.

During this exercise, registrants, including first time voters who visited Exhibition Centres were able to confirm their registration, fill out correction forms if their addresses were wrong or inclusion forms if their details were omitted and object to other registrants on the PLV.

The Commission acknowledges concerns from registered voters relating to the omission of some names from the Provisional List of Voters, photoless registration details and incomplete data in some centres. The ECSL would like to inform the general public that the data of all registrants are intact and that re-extraction of data from the Voter Verification Kits (VVKS) is being done and has been completed on seven districts thereby resolving the issue of omitted names. The Commission further wishes to inform the public that out of a total of 531,758 new registrants, there are about 50,000 photoless registrants. The ECSL is closely working with the National Civil Registration Authority (NCRA) to resolve this issue.

The Commission would like to assure the general public that these issues will be resolved in time for the finalisation and printing of the Final List of Voters (FLV) and the distribution of voter ID cards. In the meantime, registrants will continue to have the opportunity to view their details through sn SMS and web platform systems which the Commission will soon roll out.

The ECSL wishes to use this opportunity to remind the general public that the Inquiry period. during which rejection and objection cases are heard will take place from 4th 5th December 2022, in designated Centres in each Ward nationwide.”