Monrovia, Release – The Front Page Africa post titled “Millions may not vote in October Elections” from January 24, 2023, according to the National Elections Commission (NEC), is inaccurate and deceptive and could deter millions of Liberians from registering to vote in Liberia from March 20 to May 11, 2023.
The National Elections Commission (NEC) vehemently refutes the assertions made by the Front Page Africa daily that electors must utilize their National Identification Cards in order to receive Biometric Voter Registration ID Cards for the General and Presidential Elections this year.
According to the NEC, Liberians must register in person at registration centers if they are at least 18 years old. Except in cases where there is a question about a person posing as an eligible Liberian, the NEC claims it has no plans to verify the eligibility of eligible Liberians.
A valid Liberian passport, a birth certificate, a certificate of neutralization, a sworn statement by two registered voters, or confirmation by a Liberian traditional leader may be requested as proof of Liberian citizenship, the Commission notes in Section 3.1 ((a) through (e)) of the New Elections Law (as amended on 15 December 2014). The National Elections Commission is additionally empowered by the New Elections Law to create regulations that set down the criteria for approving these and any other means that the NEC determines to be acceptable and necessary.
According to NEC, the Commission has decided to add the National Identification Registry (NIR) Card to its list of available methods of verification, but only in cases where a person’s age or nationality is in doubt. This does not in any way constitute a requirement for voter registration. The NEC urges Liberians to look to the Commission for information regarding the Biometric Voter Registration (BVR) exercise, even though it assures them that all Liberians 18 years of age and older will be permitted to register.
