George M.O Williams
Delay in the movement of voting materials to polling stations by the Electoral Commission Sierra Leone has led to delay in the commencement of voting especially in Western Area, local observers have said in their preliminary reports on June 24.
Some polling stations opened several hours late, resulting to confusion among crowds of voters. A two-horse race for president emerged between incumbent Julius Maada Bio and opposition leader Samur Kamara.
The National Election Watch, a consortium of civil society organisations, said incidents of late opening of polling stations were higher in the Western region, where 41% of polling stations were not open as at 8am.
“NEW observers reported that nationally, 84% of polling stations opened by 8am. 93% of polling stations opened before 8am in the Eastern region, 94% in the North and Northwest, 96% in the South, and 59% in the Western region.”
The Council of Churches in Sierra Leone (CCSL) said, “Voting started late well beyond 7:00am in some of the polling stations/centres. Electoral material both sensitive and non-sensitive arrived late in polling centers. Voting material especially for local council elections were inadequate in some of the polling stations. E.g., Priscillia Street and Hastings Community center.”
NEW also documents late opening of polling centres as a result of incomplete or unavailable sensitive materials; missing data of voters: where names and details of voters with voter cards or slips are not found in the register; unavailability of validation stamps in polling stations.
A man was arrested by the police for being in possession of ballot papers at a polling centre in Makeni.
The ECSL acknowledged that “there were logistical challenges in some polling centres relating to the late arrival of materials especially to some parts of Western Area Rural and Urban districts which resulted in the late opening of polls at these polling stations.:
It said in its preliminary report that polling in most of the polling stations nationwide opened at 7:00 a.m.