By Amin Kef (Ranger)
The Electoral Commission for Sierra Leone (ECSL) has stated in a Press Statement dated 11th October, 2022, that it has completed the voter registration field data capture exercise successfully on the 8th October 2022 maintaining that it is extending appreciation to the public for participating in the process in a peaceful and orderly manner.
The Commission also stated that it is conveying special thanks and appreciation to the entire staff, permanent and ad hoc, who in diverse ways contributed to the national exercise.
The ECSL furthered that it continues to appreciate the Government of Sierra Leone for the timely disbursement of funds; the political parties for their cooperation, National Civil Registration Authority for their collaboration, Political Parties Registration Commission, and the Security Sector for their respective supports to the ECSL.
According to the electoral management institution, following the completion of the field data capture, the public is reminded about the following next steps before the Commission would release the Final Voters Register (FVR) certified for the June 2023 elections.
Based on what the ECSL stated next will be Data consolidation into a single unit, De duplication, which is the stage where duplicate registrants’ data are eliminated, Publication of the Provisional Voters Register (PVR) to the public, Exhibition Exercise of the Provisional Voters Register to allow registrants who took part in the registration exercise to confirm their details and/or correct errors.
The Commission stated that it will use the exhibition exercise to conduct Inquiries and appropriately address all Rejections, Objections and Appeals.
What would come next is to update the Provisional Voters Register and release the Final Voter Register.
The Electoral Commission for Sierra Leone is assuring that it is committed to the timeline for completing the voter registration process and publishing the Final Voters Register (FVR) as well as committed to its legal mandates and guiding principles and therefore appealed to the public to be patient and trust the process.
