Monrovia — Madam Davidetta Browne Lansanah, chairperson of the National Elections Commission (NEC), remains resolute in her decision to prohibit the punching of biometric voter cards on election day, despite opposition from the Unity Party (UP).
During a press conference on Tuesday, the chairperson addressed a question from journalists regarding the reason behind this decision, stating that the cards would not be punched because they are durable and contain people's biometric information, representing a significant financial investment for the country.
"These cards will not be punched. They are designed to be durable and last for a period of 5 to 10 years. It's not just about the cards; it's the entire biometric process, which has cost Liberia more than 12 million United States dollars," she emphasized. "We have been clear from the beginning that these cards will not be punched. There is no verification process for the voting cards. Perhaps if the government had provided the US$91 million, we might have had card verification, enabling electronic voting."
UP Calls for Punching of Cards
In a communication addressed to the National Elections Commission, the opposition Unity Party expressed deep concern about the NEC's decision not to punch voter registration cards (VR cards) after voting during the upcoming October 10, 2023, Legislative and Presidential Elections, following Step 3, Section 7 of the Voting Steps of the Polling and Counting Manual for Staff.
The UP expressed its reservations, both within their party and among the wider public, regarding the authenticity and integrity of the electoral process due to the NEC's decision.
"The foundation of any democratic society lies in the credibility of its elections, and we firmly believe that the biometric voter registration system, which the NEC undertook, should be the cornerstone of this credibility," the UP stated.
"However, the inability of this system to verify and enable electronic voting has left us with an Optical Mark Recognition (OMR) process in disguise, essentially transforming what should have been a genuine biometric system into a manual one."
The UP's primary concern is that this manual voting process, lacking biometric verification, leaves the 2023 legislative and presidential elections vulnerable to fraudulent activities, further exacerbated by the decision not to punch VR cards after voting.
The Party also highlighted the apparent distinction between the current VR cards and those of the past, noting a change in material from plastic to Polyethylene chloride (PVC). They emphasized that this seemingly inconspicuous alteration has profound implications for the transparency and credibility of the electoral process.
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In the UP's communication, they reported encountering a concerning issue where several Voter Registration Cards bear the chairperson's signature but lack the names and photos of the cardholders.
The UP stated, "We take these matters seriously, as they raise significant doubts about the validity of the 2023 Voter Registration cards and, by extension, the credibility of the impending 2023 Elections."
"We firmly believe that the integrity of our electoral process is paramount and should not be compromised in any way. In light of the gravity of this situation, we request that the National Elections Commission provide an immediate and comprehensive explanation for the existence and distribution of these illegal Voter Registration cards and reconsider its decision not to punch VR cards after voting, as has been the practice in previous elections."
