How did the Sierra Leone elections work? A easy information | Election Information

Explainer

Sierra Leone, one among West Africa’s youngest however oldest states, is electing a brand new president and authorities this June. Here is what you want to find out about events, leaders and key election points.

Freetown, Sierra Leone – On June 24, 2023, 3.4 million Sierra Leoneans will go to the polls to vote for a brand new president. This would be the fifth election after 10 years of brutal civil battle – and is anticipated to observe the peaceable and considerably democratic nature of its 4 predecessors.

Two acquainted candidates are competing to guide this nation of 8.4 million individuals. The incumbent, President Jules Madabio, is looking for re-election and has pledged to prioritize enhancing public entry to training and rising agricultural productiveness.

Samora Kumara, the runner-up within the final presidential election of 2018, is the second candidate for the nation’s high function.

Together with the presidential elections, Sierra Leone will even maintain parliamentary and native council elections. The final Parliament, dissolved on 25 April, consisted of 132 immediately elected Members of Parliament (MPs) and 14 Principal Chief Members of Parliament (PCMPs).

After the June 24 elections, the brand new parliament will include 135 MPs and 14 PCMPs.

In contrast to the presidential election, the vote can be held beneath a district block proportional illustration system, versus the first-past-the-post system based mostly on constituencies used since 2007.

Election of PCMPs will even be held on June 24.

How do individuals vote?

• 3,374,258 Sierra Leoneans are registered to vote within the 2023 elections – a rise of 195,595 from 2018.
• Voting is finished manually by secret poll and voters select their presidential and mayoral candidates concurrently.
• Because the proportional illustration system can be used to elect members of parliament and councillors, voters will solid separate votes for these two positions. Throughout this era, voters selected the political events of their selection, as an alternative of voting immediately for particular person candidates.
• Votes are counted bodily at polling stations and electronically at district and regional tallying facilities led by the Electoral Fee for Sierra Leone (ECSL), which administers the nation’s nationwide elections.
• Poll papers at polling stations undergo 5 levels—screening, reunification, collation, sorting and counting. After the counting, the presiding officer of the station publicizes the outcomes to the brokers and observers to document.
• The outcomes are subsequently recorded within the File and Outcomes Kind (RRF). Provisional outcomes from all polling stations are despatched to district after which regional tallying facilities for digital counting.
• The regional commissioner in every area will announce the provisional outcomes by conventional media. These provisional outcomes can be additional counted on the Nationwide Telling Middle (NTC). The ultimate outcomes can be introduced by the Chief Election Commissioner by conventional media.

A declaration of victory

• To be declared the winner, a presidential candidate should obtain 55 % of the entire vote. If this isn’t achieved within the first spherical of voting, a run-off election can be held between the 2 candidates with probably the most votes – as was the case within the 2018 elections.
• The proportional illustration system can be used to elect members of parliament and councillors.
• Parliament seats are allotted by area. The area smart distribution of 135 seats is as follows: 32 seats for East, 26 for North, 21 for North West, 30 seats for South and 26 seats for West.
• A political get together or an unbiased candidate should attain a threshold of 11.9 % of seats or seat shares for members of parliament and 4.5 % for councilors. When the brink is reached, the get together or unbiased candidate then will get a share of the seats based mostly on the proportion of votes acquired.