The release states that NEC has a total number of 3,178,663 voters as at 6th September 2017 and that the Commission must collect photographs from 23,520.
It states further that the NEC and National Civil Registration Authority (NCRA) conducted a joint civil and voter registration over the period 20th Match to 30th April this year. The joint registration according to NEC captured citizens who were eligible to vote in the upcoming elections. And that the data was transmitted from the registration machines to the NCRA database during and immediately after the joint registration exercise.
During the period 5th June to 21st July 2017, the registration data was de-duplicated in the NCRA database to identify possible multiple registrants. An adjudication process was also done over this period and a list of suspected duplicates was determined. The administrative and legal processes are ongoing in respect of the list of suspected duplicates.
Following the conclusion of the adjudication process, the Commission extracted data from the NCRA database to the NEC database to generate the provisional voter register.
This process was done on 27th July 2017. The Commission consolidated the extracted data and generated a provisional voter register in respect of sixteen (16) electoral districts in Sierra Leone. The Commission printed two copies of the provisional voter register for exhibition in 3,300 registration centres nationwide.
The Commission conducted an exhibition and inquiry of the provisional voter register over the period 22nd August – 31st August 2017. As is usual, during exhibition of the provisional voter register we collected information on errors related to data misplacement, data duplication, data not transmitted and missing data.
The Commission investigated the errors in the provisional voter register count and took necessary action to address the errors identified on 6th September 2017 the Commission announced a total voter registration count of 3,178,663 after having conducted the registration of voters.
On 6th September, the Commission explained that it did not hold the full electronic records for all 3,178,663 voters, and so, has taken action to complete the electronic record.
NEC wants the public to be informed that printing of voter cards is underway and that distribution will happen first in Western Area Rural, in time for Village Head elections later in December 2017. Dates for distribution in other districts will be announced in due course.
NEC is pleased to inform that we are currently printing reference copies of the voters’ register for inspection at NEC District Offices and NEC HQ in Freetown. This printing is underway and NEC will inform when the registers are available to inspect. UNDP is supporting this effort as part of their wider assistance to NEC.
NEC assures Sierra Leoneans that all those who attended registration and hold registration receipts will receive their voter ID cards to enable them to vote in March 2018.
