IPNEWS-Monrovia: The National Elections Commission (NEC) has announced for the first time an optional Personal Data Entry Portal, which would enable Liberians to submit their personal information online before going to voter registration centers to register.
Announcing the strategy Friday, March 10, 2023 during the Bi-monthly Stakeholders briefing on the Biometric Voter Registration (BVR) Exercise, Chairperson Davidetta Browne Lansanah said the portal would reduce processing time of registrants at voter registration centers.
“After a registrant submits his/her personal information online, they must go to the nearest voter registration center to complete registration. The NEC voter Registration workers will take their photo and capture thumbprints at the registration center. This process is optional,” Chairperson Lansanah explained.
Chairperson Lansanah stressed that the BVR Software has been tested and is ready for implementation.
Speaking at the headquarters of the Commission on 9th Street, in Sinkor, she also disclosed that materials for centralized infrastructure (AFIS, ABIS, and Voter Management System Servers) have been brought in the country.
The Chairperson has been touring the 15 counties, meeting with local authorities, women, youths, and people with disabilities, religious leaders, and joint security to solicit their support for the BVR process.
NEC said it has accredited 400 CSOs, CBOs, and FBOs to assist the NEC rollout nationwide Civic Voter Education campaigns, she disclosed.
Meanwhile, NEC has extended the deadline for all national, international, and media organizations to apply for accreditation to observe the 2023 Biometric Voter Registration Exercise to 17 March.
NEC will proceed as planned to commence the Biometric Voter Registration (BVR) exercise in the Phase-I in the counties of Bomi, Grand Cape Mount, Grand Bassa, Gbarpolu, Margibi, and Montserrado from 20 March to 9 April.
Recently, the Chairperson of the NEC, Davidetta Browne Lansanah disclosed that the Liberian government has only made US$4 million available to commence the exercise leading to the conduct of the October 10, 2023 polls, after a budget of US$91 million was initially reduced to US$60 million by the government, and again further reduced to US$31 million for the conduct of the polls.
Chairperson Lansanah said of the US$31 million that was finally settled on by the Government to provide for the conduct of the October 2023 polls, it now made available only US$4 million to kick start the process. It is however unknown when will the government provide the remaining funds to make NEC conduct the elections as anticipated by Liberians and the international community.
