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Three types of electoral systems will be used to conduct the 2023 Elections, and they are as follows:

1. The Two-rounds system (Run-off) – to conduct the Presidential Election
2. The First-Past-The-Post (simple majority) system will be used to conduct the Chairperson and Mayoral Elections, and
3. The Proportional Representation (District Block) System will be used to conduct the election for Parliamentarians and Local

Party list proportional representation is an electoral system in which seats are first allocated to parties based on vote share obtained in an election, and then assigned to party-affiliated candidates on the parties’ electoral lists. For example, if a party earns 39% of the votes, it should get roughly 39% of the seats.

Section 38A of the 1991 Constitution of Sierra Leone, provides that where there are no established constituencies in accordance with subsection (3) of section 38 for the purposes of parliamentary election, such election can be conducted on the basis of the district block representation system instead of constituencies.

It is a form of PR in which an entire district a becomes a single constituency/ward which returns multiple members, as opposed to a single-member constituency/ward.

In this electoral system, each of the 16 districts in the country is taken as a block (district considered a constituency/ward) and allotted a number of seats based on the population quota.

In the District Block PR System (with Party List) the election shall be contested in each specified district by political parties and independent candidates for the block of seats in Parliament and Council allocated to each district by the Electoral Com- mission.

Seats will be allocated based on each party’s proportion of the total valid votes in a district. Once a political party or independent candidate meets the threshold of 11.9% for parliament and 4.5% for local councils, the Commission shall assign the number of seats won to the political party in the district/locality.

Where the seat of a political party candidate becomes vacant in Parliament/Council, the vacancy shall be filled by the person next-in-line on the endorsed list of the candidate’s political party. If the vacant seat was occupied by an independent candidate, that seat will then go to a candidate of the political party with the highest remainder in the formula for apportioning seats.

• INCLUSIVENESS: Gives opportunity to smaller political parties and Independent Candidates to have a seat in Parliament or Local Council
• Cost Effective: With no bye election, PR IS cost effective saving millions of leones that could be spent on conducting bye elections
• Reduces Wastage of Votes: Unlike First-Past the Post where a candidate is elected

with a small number of votes leaving all other votes unused, PR uses most of the

votes cast in determining percentage of seats won.

• High Turnout: PR encourages high voter turnout and avoids apathy because voters know that all votes
• National Cohesion: It builds unity as it limits the issue of party strongholds as it all parties have the potential of winning a seat everywhere in the country.

No region will ever find itself shut out of the government. Every region will have representation in both government and opposition, strengthening their voice in the parliament.

With PR, incentives for political behaviour changes. Instead, parties are motivated

to show voters they work productively together on a shared policy agenda.

Statutory Instruments Nos. 13 and 14 of 2022, Public Elections Regulations, 2022, makes provision for people who wish to contest as independent candidates (for Parliamentary and Local Council seats) to be nominated and have their names placed on the ballot paper along the political parties in the district.

According to section 2 of Statutory Instrument No. 13 of 2022 (Public Elections Regulations of 2022), local council elections shall be conducted by the Proportional Rep- resentation System.

The population quota for local council elections shall be calculated, by –

• Allocating 12 seats to every local council pursuant to section 4(3) of the Local Government Act, 2004;
• subtracting the number of seats allocated from the total number of seats consti- tuting local councils as prescribed in section 2(2)(d) of the Local Government Act, 2004;
• Dividing the total population of Sierra Leone by the remaining number of local council seats subtracted.

The allocation of seats to localities shall be by, –

• dividing, the total population of each locality by the population quota resulting in a representational quotient consisting of a whole number and a fractional remainder;
• assigning to each locality, a number of seats equal to the whole number
• subtracting this figure from the total number of seats to be allocated; and
• allocating the remaining seats (if any) of the fractional remainder, beginning with the highest remainder and continuing through the ranks until all of the seats have been

• Allocating 12 seats to every local council pursuant to section 4(3) of the Local Government Act, 2004;
• subtracting the number of seats allocated from the total number of seats consti- tuting local councils as prescribed in section 2(2)(d) of the Local Government Act, 2004;
• Dividing the total population of Sierra Leone by the remaining number of local council seats subtracted.

In Sierra Leone, voters must be registered in order to be eligible to participate in an election. Voter registration is the process of verifying the identity of potential voters and entering their names and related information on a voters’ list.

hy Voter Registration? Voter registration is intended to ensure that everyone entitled to vote does so, prevent ineligible persons from voting and guard against multiple voting by the same person(s). Only those people who are on the Voters’ Register and present a Voters ID Card will be able to vote in the 2018 Elections. The registration exercise will produce a current, comprehensive, and accurate Civil and Voters’ Register, which the Election Commission will use to plan for the election. This include the required number of polling stations, materials and staff to conduct the elections.

The 1991 Constitution of Sierra Leone. P The Public Elections Act (PEA 2012) P The National Civil Registration (NCRA) Act 2016

Voter registration will be conducted at Voter Registration Centres (VRC) countrywide. This is the physical building where registration will be done. All eligible persons must go to the nearest registration centre within his/her ward. Persons who live only temporarily in an area cannot register in that area. However, voters are allowed to transfer their registration from one polling centre to another where they permanently reside

To be allowed to register, you must meet all of the following requirements:

 Be Sierra Leonean by law

Be 17 years or older

Be of sound mind

Not imprisoned for conviction of a crime or under death sentence

 Be a resident in the area where he/she wishes to register

Note: If the eligibility, identity or residential status of an applicant is in doubt, the Registrar may request him/her to provide any of the following evidences:

 Nationality: a National ID card, a Sierra Leonean passport, birth certificate, certificate of naturalisation or affidavit indicating Sierra Leonean nationality.

 Age: a National ID card, a Sierra Leonean passport, Drivers’ License birth certificate or affidavit indicating age.

 Residence: Local tax receipt, bills of public utilities, or affidavit indicating residence.

Note: An Applicant can also provide non-documentary proof of identity and eligibility when they cannot produce any of the above documents. Acceptable Non-documentary proof of identity and eligibility: Declaration by the following people:

 Paramount Chief

 Village Head

 Tribal Religious Leader

 Town Chief

 Head of Educational Institution

 Section Chief

 Councilor

Note: While testimony of any one of the above mentioned authorities is accepted, only the Registrar shall decide whether an applicant is eligible or not. An applicant has the right to appeal. Not eligible to register P Persons who have been committed to a mental asylum or judged to be insane P Persons who are imprisoned for conviction of a crime or under death sentence

No one is allowed to register in absentia; everyone is expected to register in person

 No one is allowed to register for another person

A person can register only once

Join the Queue Once you enter the centre, you will give your information to the Registration Officer at desk 1 to fill in a Form Next you will be directed to have your biometrics collected Collect your receipt and keep it in a safe place

The Registration Centre is the physical building where registration will take place. Voter registration will be conducted at locations called registration centres. In general, eligible Sierra Leoneans will vote at the same location where they have registered. There will be 3,300 voter registration centres. On polling day, this location is called Polling Centre.

It is estimated that approximately 3300 registration centreswill be required to carry out the process over the three week registration period scheduled for each ward

Each Registration Centre will serve a maximum of 2,000 voters.

Yes, eligible voters will vote at the same location where they have registered. On polling day, these locations will be called Polling Centre.

Each Voter Registration Centre will comprise a team of 3 officials:

Registrar

Assistant Registrar

Data Entry Officer

The registration team will be monitored by the Ward Coordinators who in turn report to the District Electoral Officers (DEOs).

Eligible citizens ordinarily resident in the section/area where the registration centre is located NEC officials with ID Cards Party agents accredited by NEC Journalists who carry Press Cards Observers accredited by NEC

There will be Sierra Leone Police personnel attached generally to each centre. Police attached to the registration centre are only allowed in the outer perimeter of the centre, unless otherwise requested by the Registrar. The Registrar: 

• May suspend registration if the centre is threatened by riot, violence, storm, flood, or any other occurrence that will make the proper conduct of registration impossible.
• Must suspend registration if advised to do so by the WCs or the Police. 
• In the case of an unforeseen suspension of registration, as soon as it is practical, inform the WCs of the suspension. Should make sure that the following sensitive materials are not left behind.

During the 2012 election process, the NEC used biometric Voter Registration, which was also new process for Sierra Leone.For the next voter registration exercise, the NEC will undertake the establishment of a permanent register using the same biometric technology, similar to that done for the 2012 biometric voter registration. An initial field data capture for 28 days will target Sierra Leonean citizens (17 years and older) using all the required fields for the Civil register.

Civil Registration is the system by which government records (in a continuous, permanent, compulsory and universal manner) the occurrence and characteristics of vital events (births, deaths, marriages, adoptions, nullities, divorces, etc.) related to its citizens and non-citizens, as provided by and in accordance with an established legal framework. The resulting data base is called a National Civil Register