Monrovia, Liberia – Due to a number of issues, including the defeated and elected candidates’ inability to pay for their transportation to and from their respective voting precincts during the first round of voting and their disappointment with the way that both the current and previous governments have failed to improve the living conditions of the majority, the recently concluded presidential runoff election in Liberia saw low turnout throughout the entire voting period.
In a runoff election held on Tuesday, November 14, Liberians chose a new president to lead the nation for the ensuing six years. As stipulated by the 1986 Liberian Constitution, the 20 parties and independent candidates that ran in the election failed to secure 50 percent plus one vote, forcing a runoff.
The entire process was marred by low turnout, nevertheless, as many voters, facing extreme poverty and financial restraints, were unable to use their financial resources in order to travel to other polling areas to cast their votes.
Since many polling places were nearly empty, election officials had to keep themselves occupied by playing games on their phones or having conversations with coworkers while the polls were open to those who had gone to sell prepare food, water and prepared food items.
