Election Day Marred by Late Opening of Polling Stations And Missing Materials – NEW

The National Election Watch (NEW) has released a mid-day situational statement on the ongoing presidential, parliamentary, and local council elections in Sierra Leone.

As an accredited observer by the Electoral Commission of Sierra Leone (ECSL), NEW has deployed over 6,000 trained observers across the country, including a special group of 750 observers using the Process and Results Verification for Transparency (PRVT) methodology.

The PRVT methodology utilizes scientific sampling to accurately assess the situation at polling stations nationwide, building on NEW’s successful implementation in previous elections.

The situational statement, based on reports from 98% of PRVT observers and other regular observers, highlights several concerning observations.

During the opening and set-up phase, NEW noted that observers had access to their assigned polling stations and were able to witness the process.

However, queues were reported outside 88% of polling stations by 6:30 am, while 75% of stations lacked campaign materials within a 400-yard radius. Approximately 55% of polling stations had at least 7 polling officials, with 96% having at least one female official.

The presence of female presiding officers stood at 22% of stations.

Nationally, 84% of polling stations opened by 8 am, but the Western region experienced delays, with 41% of stations failing to open on time.

In terms of missing voting materials, 9% of stations had at least one sensitive item missing, with higher rates in the Western Region. Additionally, 13% of stations did not provide a tactile ballot guide. While 99% of polling stations facilitated secret ballot marking, some instances of late opening were associated with missing sensitive materials.

Regarding accessibility, 75% of polling stations posed challenges to people with disabilities and the elderly due to the need to navigate steps.

Party and candidate agents were present in 99% of stations, representing various political parties and independent candidates.

NEW has received and confirmed 12 critical incident reports since the polls opened. These include instances of late opening due to incomplete materials, missing voter data, unavailability of validation stamps, and the arrest of a man in possession of ballot papers in Makeni.

In light of these issues, NEW calls on the Electoral Commission of Sierra Leone to address the polling centers that have not yet opened and resolve concerns regarding voters with IDs missing from the register. NEW will continue to observe the voting, closing, counting, and results processes, providing periodic updates on its observations and findings.

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