With a little less than two years before the conduct of a general and presidential election, voters have begun boycotting the polls – a situation that sends out wide signals and has sparked debates in all sectors of society.

Why is it so, what were the expectation of the voters? Have they lost confidence in their leaders due to apathy? These are some of the questions posed to voters at several polling places around the city on Election Day.

Empty polling station

At the Joseph B. Tate Jr. Memorial Institute in Congo Town, polling started on time but the first voter did not cast their ballot until thirty minutes later. The center was very quiet and there were little sign of voters.

Similar situations were observed at the Seventh Day Adventist High School at the ELWA Junction and the Paynesville Community Jr. High School in Paynesville Joebar Community, up to the Paynesville Central Academy High School along the Somalia Drive.

Even though a holiday was pronounced by President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf to afford eligible voters to exercise their franchise, many did not turn out to vote.  People were instead seen at entertainment centers and others market places around the city, while many were busy at vaccination centers to be immunized against the Yellow Fever disease.

Yellow Fever vaccinations

At the Paynesville City Hall, which played host to seven polling centers, many were seen queuing-up for the Vaccine, leaving the voting precinct absolutely empty. Satta Siafa, is one of those administering the vaccine. “The Vaccination process is very fast. Many people are polling in to be vaccinated, as you can see, the queue is very long and we are expected to serve up to five hundred person just today.”

Beatrice Cooper, a health worker who seems very hard working, said she is doing everything possible to reduce the long queue of people who have turn out for the vaccine. “I don’t want to talk, as you can see, the people are very plenty and I am working to reduce the load on me. They are really turning out for the vaccine. I don’t know if they are doing the same at the voting centers, but I am hopeful that I will serve up to 450 persons before the day ends.”

Some of those at Vaccination centers around the city expressed more interest for the vaccine, and said they ‘care about their health and not politics.’ “The Politicians have failed us, why should we vote someone who has no interest in the country?,” asked Justine Doe, a resident of Barnesville Estate.

At the E. Jonathan Goodrich High School in Barnesville Estate and other voting centers covered, polling staff and election observers expressed satisfaction over the conduct of the election, describing it as peaceful. However, many expressed frustration over the low turnout.

Political analysts believed the inability of those elected to political office’s failure to deliver on the promises made to voters contributed to the poor turnout, while other believed the lack of sensitization led to the poor turnout.

What ever the case may be, election is a constitutional right of every citizen of the nation, and it is also the responsibilities of those elected to public offices, to work in the best interest of their electorates.  With this poor turnout, many are of the belief that the 2011 general and presidential election will turn a new page in Liberia, a nation coming out of 14 years of civil conflict.

For now, the National Election Commission (NEC) has received   praises from many sectors of the country including political leaders, voters, as well as civil society grouping for the successful conduct of the By-Election Run-off on November 24, 2009.

The NEC, which was criticized in the first round by-election, realized it mistakes, and put its house in order. A few weeks before the election, the NEC conducted civic and voter’s education trainings, coupled with a rehearsal workshop for polling staff.

These efforts will surely need to be accelerated to ensure a robust turnout for the 2011 elections.

Photography by Myles Estey.