By Sallu K. Swaray
MONROVIA: The Chairperson of the National Elections (NEC), Davidetta Brown Lansanah has confirmed that the electoral umpire is on course with the ensuing bye-elections slated for April 24, 2024 to be conducted in Grand Gedeh County for the representative position while that of Nimba County where the senatorial race will be held as the institution has received the amount of USD2,026,000 (two million, twenty six thousand United States dollars and the electoral materials for the process are now in possession of NEC having received the documents from Ghana.
Speaking at a news conference at the James M. Fromoyan Conference Hall at the NEC Headquarters on Monday Mrs. Lansanah said the commission is organizing 736 polling places for 307,254 registered voters at 262 precincts in Nimba County, pointing out that it requires 3,846 polling staffers to man the polls in Nimba
Commenting further, she disclosed that there are 20,407 polling staffers needed in both Nimba and Grand Gedeh, and added that the staffers will be deployed immediately after their training.
Madam Lansanah stated that there are a total of four Senatorial Candidates in Nimba, all of whom are males and in Grand Gedeh District#1, fifteen Candidates including 12 males and three females.
She maintained that the commission continues to work with all stakeholders, mentioning candidates, observer groups and the security apparatuses to ensure successful conduct of the by-election and to update Liberian on both the processes in Nimba and in District #1 in Grand Gedeh County.
Madam Lansanah averred that the commission had formally launched the civic and voter’s education (CVE) activities simultaneously on March 22, 2024 for the by-elections in both counties during which time the NEC began the distribution of CVE materials to citizens in Nimba and Grand Gedeh District #1 respectively.
She further disclosed that all nine CVE Cells in Nimba and the one cell in District#1 Grand Gedeh were activated by the NEC, educating and informing citizens in both counties about the by- elections.
Additionally, she noted that more CVE and Gender outreach materials in the form of posters, flyers, banners, t-shirts, caps amongst others have been distributed and pointed out that NEC personnels continue to be deployed to Nimba and Grand Gedeh to support outreach activities for the by-elections.
At the same time, Madam Lansanah stressed that the political campaign for the 2024 senatorial by- election in Nimba County and Grand Gedeh District#1 Representative by- election commenced on April 4, 2024 and is progressing peacefully so far.
“The campaign will end on 20 April 2024 at midnight,” she stated, averring that in keeping with NEC operational plan and electoral timeline, ballot papers for the 2024 Nimba County senatorial and Grand Gedeh District#1 representative by- elections have arrived in the country.
According to the chairperson for the electoral governing body, the ballot papers came in on Saturday, 13 April, 2024 from the Republic of Ghana via the Roberts International Airport in the following categories and quantities of four hundred and thirteen thousand and fifty (413,050) ballots intended for Nimba Senatorial By- elections Ballots and twenty six thousand four hundred ballots (26,400) ballots for the Grand Gedeh District#1 representative bi-elections.
The ballots, the NEC Chair averred, were brought in the country along with other materials including the record of the count forms and tactile ballot guide and that they are currently stored securely under the protection of state security people.
The packaging of materials in NEC Central Warehouse, the NEC Boss furthered, is on course and nearing completion, especially with the arrival of the ballots. She also added that the deployment of ballot papers and other sensitive and insensitive election materials for Nimba County and Grand Gedeh District#1 commences today, she narrated.