Eligible voters in Sierra Leone will be going to the polls today, June 24, 2023, to cast their ballots in the multi-tier general elections – presidential, parliamentary, and local council elections.
According to the Electoral Commission of Sierra Leone(ECSL), 3,374,258 voters will be involved in the process across 11,832 polling stations from 7:00 am to 5:00 pm.
“Election June 24 is here. We have printed, and we have delivered all logistics and all materials. The dispatch will start from districts to the chiefdom to polling centres,” the EC Chairman, Mohamed Kenewui Konneh said.
Some 4,779 candidates would be contesting in the polls and this includes 13 presidential candidates, 9 chairperson-nominated candidates, 9 councillors-nominated candidates, and parliamentary candidates.
What to do at the voting centres
Note that the polling stations will have two ballot issuers, two voting screens and two ballot boxes.
- With your Voter ID Card, go to the Voter Identification Officer
- Then next to the ballot paper issuer
- Proceed to voting screen 1 to mark or thumbprint your candidate of choice
- Then go to the ballot box at controller 1 to drop your ballot paper in the boxes
- After that, move to ballot paper issuer 2 for another ballot paper
- Move to voting screen 2 to mark or thumbprint your candidate of choice
- Again, go to the ballot box at Controller 2 and drop your ballot paper in the boxes.
- Go home and wait for official results from the Electoral Commission.
Things you should do when given the ballot paper
- You can vote with a pen or ink by thumbprinting
- Tick or thumb inside the box next to your candidate of choice
- Clean the ink on your thumb before folding your ballot papers to avoid your ballot being rejected
- Do not vote for more than one candidate on the same ballot paper
- You will be given a ballot paper for each category contested.
By: Gifty Tracy Aminu
