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AFRICA

Few Liberians Turn Out for Vote Delayed by

Ebola
By CLAIR MacDOUGALL DEC. 20, 2014

MONROVIA,LiberiaLiberianstrickledtothepollsonSaturdaytovotein
Senateelectionsthatweredelayedformorethantwomonthsbecauseofthe
Ebolaoutbreakandlegalchallenges.Turnoutisexpectedtobeverylow.
Hereinthecapital,specialprecautionsweretakenatpollingplacesto
minimizetheriskofvoterscontractingEbola,whichisspreadthrough
physicalcontactwithaninfectedperson.Thepollingstationswereequipped
withextracardboardvotingboothsandballotboxestoensureminimalcontact
betweenvoters,whowereseparatedbyaspaceofthreefeet.
Electionsworkerstookthetemperatureofvoterswithinfrared
thermometersanddeniedadmissiontothosewhoregisteredover37.5degrees
Celsius(99.5Fahrenheit).Votershadtheirfingersdabbedwithinkbeforethey
markedtheirballotswithpensortheirfingerprints.
Butsomemonitorssaidthesafetymeasureswereinadequateinthe14
countiesoutsideofMonrovia.Pollingplacesinthoseareaswerenotequipped
withthermometersandsanitizers,saidOscarBloh,thecountrydirectorof
SearchforCommonGround,agroupthatisoverseeing2,000monitorsacross
thecountry.Healsosaidthatmonitorsweredeniedaccesstopollingplaces
whiletheywerebeingopenedinsomeareas,whichhecalledunacceptable.
LiberiahasbeenhithardbytheEbolavirus,thoughtherateofnewcases
anddeathsappearedtohaveslowedinrecentweeks.Butthecountryhad
recorded3,290Eboladeathsasoflastweek,accordingtotheWorldHealth
Organization.
 AtapollingcenterinaschoolintheJacobsTownsectionofMonrovia,
fiveelectionsmonitorshadlittletodo.
RobertTamba,anelectionsmonitorfortheLibertyPartywhohas
observedthreeelections,saidthelowvoterturnoutatthepollingcenterwasa
resultoffearandapathy,fedbyasuspicionofallpoliticalcandidates.
Therearelesspeoplebecausetheyaretiredoftheirleaders,Mr.Tamba
said.
ThatsentimentwasechoedbyAlfredTokpah,anobserverforRobert
Sirleaf,thesonofPresidentEllenJohnsonSirleaf,whoisrunningagainst
GeorgeMannehWeah,aformersoccerstar,fortheMontserradoseat,which
representsthecapitalregion.
Theythinkthereisnoneedtocometovote,theleadersarenottrusted,
Mr.Tokpahsaid.
SomeLiberiansexpressedconcernontalkradioprogramsthattheir
registrationcardsfrompreviouselectionswerenotbeingaccepted.Avoterroll
updatewasconductedin2011andallvoterswereexpectedtobeableto
producetheircards.
Thevotingfor15ofthe30Senateseatsisthethirdnationalelection
Liberiahasheldsinceitsbrutalcivilwarin2003.Thecountryhasabout1.9
millionregisteredvotersamongapopulationoffourmillion,morethan
600,000ofwhomliveinMontserradoCountry,thecapitalregion.
TheUnitedNationssecretarygeneral,BanKimoon,visitedthecountry
onFridayandurgedLiberianstoensuretheseelectionsarepeacefuland
objectiveandtofollowpublichealthguidelinesagainstEbola.Mr.Bansaid
theelectionswereanopportunitytoshowtheworldhowfarLiberiahad
come.
ClashesbetweensupportersofMr.SirleafandMr.Weahhaveerupted
throughoutthecapitalinrecentweeksandcampaignbillboardshavebeen
torndown,promptingconcernsthattheelectionscouldleadtoviolent
confrontations.
Riotpoliceunitsweresenttosomepollingplacesaftercrowdsgathered
outsidetomonitortheprocedures,withsomepeopleraisingsuspicionsof
 voteriggingmeasuresthatwouldfavorthepresidentsson.
Mr.Sirleafsaidhewasoptimisticthattherewouldbenoviolence.
Provisionalresultsareexpectedinafewdays,accordingtheelections
commission.
A version of this article appears in print on December 21, 2014, on page A10 of the New York edition
with the headline: Few Liberians Turn Out for Vote Delayed by Ebola.

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