Liberia: How NEC’s ‘Blunders’ Deny Many from Voting

When first-time voter Daniel Weiss arrived at the polling station on October 10, he did so with an overflowing sense of civic duty. 

However, after enduring more than six grueling hours in a queue in Nimba County, Weiss was unable to vote. His crime? A simple lack of knowledge about which queue to join, as the voting process was organized alphabetically.

"I joined the queue in the afternoon hours and waited so long, only not to vote," Weiss said frustratingly. "When I arrived, everything was scattered, and there were no NEC workers to help you find your proper queue."

"Finally, when I reached the first voting precincts, I was told I was in the wrong queue and then redirected multiple times. By the time I found my proper queue, it was too late," he added. 

"The polling place I was supposed to vote in had already closed, and I had no choice but to leave for home without voting. The painful part is that I waited so long but still could not vote."

Weiss, like some other voters across the country on October 10, never had the chance to exercise their constitutional rights due to the National Elections Commission's limited deployment of queue agents.

As a result, voters were left to painstakingly search for their designated lines, which was an arduous task for those who could not read. In Weiss's case, he stood in the wrong queue for about two hours, only to be informed, upon reaching the first polling place, that he was in the wrong line.

This forced him to start his journey anew. On his second attempt, he was again directed to the wrong queue, and by the time someone had finally helped him locate his rightful queue, the polling place had closed, leaving him frustrated and unable to cast his vote.

Weiss is not alone. It is similar to what many others faced as a result of no or limited queue agents at many polling stations across the country, which severely slowed down the election process, as turnout was historic when compared to the last three national elections.

"Queue control" in the context of an election typically refers to the management and organization of voters waiting in line to vote at polling stations. It is important to prevent chaos and overcrowding at a polling station, as well as to guarantee that all eligible voters have a chance to cast their ballots.

According to the Elections Coordinating Committee, Liberia's largest domestic election observation network, the issues of lack of "proper queue control" were observed in most polling places across the country.

"The queue control and management were not effective throughout the voting day in 13% of observed voting precincts," the Observer group said in a preliminary report. "This had partly to do with the relatively high number of voters who were registered to vote in certain polling places.

"The lack of good management of the queues, combined with the long lines and long waiting, led to tensions in some locations and to violence in certain instances," the group said.

Citing Montserrado electoral district two as an example, the group noted that, as a result of poor queue control, serious tension mounted in the district from morning until evening hours as security officials on duty could not effectively control the crowd.

They added that the situation led to fighting in the queues and resulted in “two people losing consciousness due to the crowd, with the voting process being interrupted twice for more than 30 minutes each time.”

Similarly, in the Montserrado electoral district three, the issues of limited queue control were also evident, the group noted. It added that while one polling place was congested, voters ran out of patience and decided to force their way through. However, the situation was "promptly controlled."

"I was so excited to vote for the first time," said Mary, a 40-year-old voter in the Township of Caldwell, Montserrado County. "But I left disappointed. I waited for so long, only to be told at the last moment that I was standing in the wrong queue.

"If NEC workers had helped me find my rightful queue, I would have voted. I am not alone; there were many of us left disheartened after navigating the overcrowded queues but could not vote."

The root of the problem Mary experienced came as a result of a shortage of queue workers. With limited staff to assist and provide guidance, Mary, like many other voters, was left to struggle on their own to locate the rightful queue, and if it was the wrong one, they would have to start over again.

While the National Elections Commission had hoped to streamline the voting process by organizing queues alphabetically, it became a source of immense frustration as the limited or no deployment of queue workers became a problem.

One voter, Sarah Johnson, expressing her dismay, noted that, "I stood in line for nearly four hours, only to be told I was in the wrong place. I never knew where to go, and the lack of guidance from the officials made it even more frustrating."

"I just hope that when there is a second round, the National Elections Commission will take appropriate measures," Johnson noted. The pain of not voting, despite applying all efforts to do so, is grueling.