NEC Clarifies On Voter’s Registration -Says ID Card Not Required

MONROVIA – Amid insinuations in the public that the National Elections Commission (NEC) has set the presentation of the National Identification Card as requirement to qualify for the issuance of the biometric voter’s registration card and may affect millions of Liberians who are eligible to obtain the document to vote in the 2023 election, the electoral body has clarified that the information was not true and that any Liberian who has attained age 18 and above will be issued the card once they approached registration centers.

 In a press statement issued by NEC and signed by Prince Dunbar, Deputy Director of Communication, the institution said it has no plan to subject eligible Liberians to verification except when doubt arises as to a person posing to be a Liberian and that Liberians 18 years and above are to only physically appear at the registration centers and register

“The Commission notes that Section 3.1 ((a) thru (e)) of the New Elections Law (as amended on 15 December 2014), says, the Principal means of verifying whether a person is a citizens of Liberia, 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 prove of Liberian citizenship”, the statement said.

The statement said the New Elections Law further empowers the National Elections Commission to issue regulations to establish the procedures in which these means and any other means the NEC deems necessary and appropriate, will be approved.

 “It is against this backdrop that the Commission now includes the National Identification Registry (NIR) Card as one of the several means of verification if and only where a nationality or age is in question. This is far from being a prerequisite for voter registration.

 “The NEC, while reassuring that all Liberians 18 years old and above will be allowed to register, the NEC calls on Liberians to look to the Commission for information regarding the Biometric Voter Registration (BVR) exercise”, the statement said.

 It can be recalled that NEC announced the voter’s registration period from March 20 to May 11, 2023 in two phases and Liberians who reached the age of 18 and above are eligible to obtain the voter’s card to enable them cast their ballots in the ensuing general election on October 10, 2023.

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