As we get closer and closer and closer to election day, November 17, in Sierra Leone... Statements from the National Electoral Commission are becoming the talk of the town. Here's the latest.

I should add that this "voter education" is typical of what we see around town... It's so unfortunate that the 10 million dollar budget for voter education has not been more effective... I wonder how they're going to account for that money given the very low level of understanding amongst most Sierra Leoneans. Hmmm, more questions are raised...

National Electoral Commission- (NEC)

OAU Drive, Tower Hill, Freetown
Sierra Leone

6th November 2012

Press Statement
Updates
Recruitment of Polling Staff
The Commission has recruited about 70,000 polling staff nationwide that are currently undergoing training at ward and polling center levels on polling and counting procedures

Destruction of Faulty Voter ID Cards
Faulty Voter ID Cards from the Registration and Exhibition phases will be destroyed on Wednesday 7th November 2012 at 11:00 AM at the NEC Wellington premises. Relevant stakeholders and observers are invited to witness the exercise.

Arrival of Ballot Papers
Ballot papers for the 2012 elections arrived on Monday 5th November 2012 at the Lungi International Airport. This was witnessed by relevant stakeholders and the chairperson received the final consignment of 4 trucks at Government Wharf at 9:00 AM this morning. The next consignment is due by end of the week.

Distribution of Non-Sensitive Materials
distribution of non-sensitive materials including Know Your Candidates, Sample Ballots for Presidential, Parliamentary and Local Council elections is on-going. The Commission recognises and appreciates the efforts of security forces in facilitating movement of these materials to the NEC district offices.

Vehicular Movement on Polling Day

Key stakeholders including political parties signed up to an agreement to restrict vehicular movement on election day. Only accredited vehicles displaying stickers provided by NEC will be authorised to ply the routes on that between the hours of 7:00 AM-7: PM.

Party flag bearers can be accompanied by 3 vehicles with no more than 4 people each. They will be required to return home after voting. Two vehicles will be accredited for every political party in every constituency with not more than four (4) persons on board each vehicle. Such persons must carry party ID cards.

Commercial motor cycles (okada) are banned from plying in all district headquarter towns and cities of Freetown, Bo, Kenema, Makeni, Koidu and Bonthe on polling day. They will however be permitted to ply in the rural areas.

In a bid to alleviate transportation challenges on polling day, the Commission has facilitated Sierra Leone Road Transport Corporation (SLRTC) buses to plyroutes along major streets in Freetown and some district headquarter towns on polling day. Of the 24 buses, 11are allocated in the Western Area, of which, 9 buses will commute within Freetown and 2 between Waterloo and along the Peninsular unto Goderich.Two (2) buses each will be allocated for Bo, Kenema and Makeni Cities, one (1) bus each for Pujehun, Koinadugu, Port Loko, Kambia, Bonthe-Mainland, Tonkolili and Moyamba Districts.

This was made possible by sponsorship from the Rokel Commercial Bank, American Chamber of Commerce and Sam King Group.

Commuters will not pay for the bus services but must produce voter ID cards to gain access and two NEC staff will be on duty to verify voter ID cards and also supervise operations on board the buses. Priority will be given to the aged, physically challenged, pregnant women and lactating mothers.

Polling Day Voting Steps

Once a voter’s name has been identified on the FVR, s/he will be given two (2) ballots with different colours from the Ballot Paper Issuer (BPI 1). The blue ballot paper will be used to vote for the President and the yellow ballot paper will be used to vote for the Member of Parliament for that constituency.

The voter will then proceed to cast his/her ballots for the president and Member of Parliament of his/her choice after which he/she will move to the second Ballot Paper Issuer (BPI 2).

The (BPI 2) will then issue the voter with another two ballot papers one of which is pink in colour and the other brown. The pink ballot paper will be used to vote for the Mayor/Chairperson and the brown ballot paper will be used to vote for the Councillor of the Ward in which the Polling station is located.He/she will then proceed to vote for the Mayor/Chairperson and the Councillor of his/her choice.

Voters will be required to make a mark inside the polling booths on the spaces provided on each of the ballot papers.Voters are directed by the Ballot Box Controller to deposit each of the four marked ballots in the respective ballot boxes with coloured stickers that correspond with the colours of the ballot papers.

After voters have deposited ballots into Mayor/Chairperson and Councillor Ballots boxes respectively, voters are directed by the Ballot Box Controller 2 to dip their left index fingers into indelible ink and later told to leave polling centers immediately.

Signed:
Christiana A. M. Thorpe
Chief Electoral Commissioner/Chairperson
National Returning Officer