On October 17, 2023, the National Elections Commission (NEC) announced 98.4% of the official
results for the 2023 presidential election in Liberia. According to NEC, the results from the remaining
1.6% of polling places should be processed and announced in the coming days.
The Liberia Elections Observation Network (LEON) announces that the official results released by
NEC thus far are “consistent” with polling place-level data collected and analyzed by LEON as part
of its sample-based observation (SBO) during the 2023 presidential and legislative elections. The
SBO approach is a proven, statistically based methodology that has been used in more than 40
countries for over three decades to evaluate the quality and integrity of an electoral process. LEON’s
consistent sampling results indicate that NEC’s official results can be viewed by stakeholders and
voters with trust and confidence.
In Liberia, LEON deployed 904 NEC accredited short-term observers (STOs) to a randomly selected,
representative sample of polling places in all 73 electoral districts among the 15 counties. LEON
observers followed the voting and counting process at sample locations on Election Day and recorded
NEC results data posted publicly at the polling places observed. The results data recorded by
observers was validated by photographs of the results sheets and cross-verified by LEON’s data
clerks at its data center. LEON observers reported a transparent counting process in the presence of
party agents/poll watchers and observers. LEON observed results tabulation at the 19 NEC tally
centers and is confident that it was conducted transparently and in accordance with procedures.
LEON assesses that NEC largely adhered to its opening of polls, voting, closing of polls, counting,
and results tabulation procedures, and they were conducted