National Civil and

Voter Registration, 2017

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What is Voter Registration?
Voter registration is the process of verifying the identity of potential voters and
entering their names and other substantiating information on a voters’ list. In al-
most all countries where elections are held, voters must be registered in order to
be eligible to participate in an election.
Why Voter registration?
Voter registration is intended to ensure that everyone entitled to vote does so
to prevent ineligible persons from voting, and to guard against multiple voting
by the same person (s).
What is Civil Registration? Civil Registration is the system by which gov-
ernment 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 pro-
vided by and in accordance with an established legal framework. The resulting
data base is called a National Civil Register.
What is legal framework for Civil and Voter Registration?
a. The 1991 Constitution of Sierra Leone.
b. The Public Elections Act (PEA 2012).
c. The National Civil Registration (NCRA) Act 2016.

What type of registration did the National Electoral Commission under-

take in 2012? Biometric Voter Registration was undertaken. This was a
new process for Sierra Leone with the goal to uphold the principle of ‘one per-
son, one vote’ by seeking to avoid duplicated registration.
How are the two registration projects similar?
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 above) using all the required fields for
the Civil register. The proposed registration system will capture enough information
about the elector to enable the register to remain current and accurate to ensure the
following:

 The possibility of multiple registration is reduced to 0.01%;

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 Spare high capacity battery and charging caddy
Webcam and light source
Photographic background cloth
Finger print scanner
All necessary connections, plugs and cables
Kit case containing all parts and components other than the generator
Generators to power the registration kits (one per kit) and charge the
computer battery
Maintenance of kits.
th
21. If you do not register during the Voter Registration period 20 March to
16th April, 2017, will you vote in the March 7th 2018 Elections?
NO, because your name will not be in the Final Voter s Register (FVR) to
enable you vote for the 2018 elections. So if you want to vote in 2018 elections
you must register as a voter from 20th March to 16th April, 2017.
22. Will an applicant who does not register during the Voter registration
phase be allowed to register during the Civil Registration period?
Yes, and will have his/her data captured in the civil register but will not vote
during the 2018 elections. So if you want to voter in the 2018 elections, register
during the voter registration period.
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 Eliminate the possibility of ghost registration as electors have to be physically
present to participate in the process;
 New electors can be added to the register as necessary;
 Voters will be able to change their details and effect transfers to other electoral
areas;
 The register can be easily updated;
 Lost ID Cards can be replaced through reference to biometric details in the da-
ta;
Subsequent registration cost will be reduced as some of the equipment will still
be available.
6. What will be the next stage after Voter Registration?
The next stage will be the retrieval of data from the kits by NEC and other processes
such as adjudication, exhibition, printing and distribution of cards; and after a three-
day break, NCRA will then continue the Civil Registration process, capturing the
remaining data (0-15 years) and non-Sierra Leoneans.
7. Where will Registration take place? Voter registration will be conducted at loca-
tions called Voter Registration Centres (VRC). The Registration Centre is the physi-
cal building where registration will take place. In general, eligible Sierra Leoneans
will vote at the same location where they have registered. On polling day, this loca-
tion is called Polling Centre. Each Registration Centre/Polling Centre will serve a
maximum of 2,000 voters. It is estimated that approximately 3,300 registration teams
(VR Centres) will be required to carry out the process over the three week registra-
tion period scheduled for each ward.
8. When will the Voter Registration Process take place?
The Voter Registration (hereinafter called VR) exercise will be carried out over a
28-day period across the country, as required by law for data capture covering all
132 constituencies. It will also follow all voter registration procedures including
observation by election stakeholders. The exercise will take place between February
and March 2017. Registration will commence daily at 7am and will end at 5pm
from Monday to Sunday throughout the 28 -day period for the Voter Registration in
each ward.
9. What will the VR Process do?
The VR exercise will produce a current, comprehensive, and accurate Civil and
Voters’ Register. Only those people who are on the Voters Register and present a
Voters ID Card will be able to vote in the 7th March, 2018 Elections.
10. Who can register?
To be allowed to register, a person must meet all of the following requirements.
Be Sierra Leonean by law
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 Be 18 years old or more by March 7th, 2018 (Born on or before March 7th,
2000); Embedded computer, with internal high capacity battery
Be of sound mind (People who have been committed to a mental asylum or
judged to be insane are not eligible to register);
Not imprisoned for conviction of a crime or under death sentence;
Ordinarily resident in the area where he/she wishes to register. Any one tempo-
rarily living in an area cannot register in that area. However, voters wish-
ing to transfer their registration from one polling centre to another where
they are now permanently resident can do so.

In general, an Applicant does not need to submit any documentation to be regis-

tered. However, if the eligibility, or identity, or residential status of the applicant is
in doubt, the Registration Officer may request him/her to provide any of the fol-
lowing evidences:

Nationality: a National ID car d, a Sier r a Leonean passpor t, bir th cer tifi-

cate, certificate of naturalisation or affidavit indicating Sierra Leonean na-
tionality.
Age: a National ID car d, a Sier r a Leonean passpor t, Dr iver s’ License birth
certificate or affidavit indicating age.
Residence: Local tax r eceipt, bills of public utilities, or affidavit indicating
residence.

An Applicant can also provide non-documentary proof of identity and eligibility

when they cannot produce any of the above documents.

11. WHAT is a Registration Centre?

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

12.
The voter registration process is made of various steps that will result in a Final
Voters Register (FVR). ‘

The steps are:

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 Eligible citizens ordinarily resident in the section/area where the RC is lo-
cated
 NEC officials with ID Cards
 Party agents accredited by NEC .

 Journalists who carry Press Cards

 Observers accredited by NEC

SLP Security Personnel attached to (or patrolling) the registration centre should
be allowed only in the outer perimeter of the centre, unless otherwise requested
by the Registrar

20. What type of Form will be used for the process?

Registration Centre Data Centre

CIVIL AND VOTER REGISTRATION FORM 1

Applicant goes to
Registration Centre VR Forms are sent to Forms are scanned
in person, gets reg- the NEC District Of- at NEC HQ to create
istered and receives fices and from there and print a Provi-
a receipt to con- to the National Data sional Voters’ Regis-
firm registration
(See CVR Form 01 Below)

21. SECURITY and safety

Registration/Exhibition Constituency level
There will be SLP security personnel attached generally to each VR centre. Inquiry period Data Centre
Centre
The Registrar:
Provisional Voters
May suspend registration if the centre is threatened by riot, violence, storm, Register is displayed Based on information
Challenges of the from the Exhibition and
flood, or any other occurrence that will make the proper conduct of reg- during Exhibition
potential voters are Inquiry Periods, chang-
in each VRC. VR
istration impossible. slips are issued to heard during the es are made to the PVR.
registrants at this inquiry period Final Voters Register
Must suspend registration if advised to do so by the WCs or the Police. 13. PERIOD of Registration (FVR) is printed for
stage. Potential
In the case of an unforeseen suspension of registration, as soon as it is prac- Election Day and dis-
The voters
Votercheck it and
Registration exercise will be carried out for a 28 day
tributed period.cen-
to polling It will
apply for changes,
tical, inform the WCs of the suspension. th
take place from 20 March to 16 April, 2017. tres/stations nation-
Should make sure that the following sensitive materials are not left behind.
Registration kits including hardware components and VR software to 14. WHEN will registration commence each day?
include: Registration will commence daily at 7 a.m. and will end at 5pm from Monday
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 ii. Age: a National ID car d, a Sier r a Leonean passpor t, bir th cer tifi-
Sunday throughout the 28 day period.
cate or affidavit indicating age.
Residence: Local tax r eceipt, bills of public utilities or affidavit indi-
15. WHERE Can a Person Register?
cating residence.
Everyone wishing to be registered must go to the nearest Voter Registration
Acceptable Non-documentary proof of identity and eligibility:
Centre in the section (area in the case of Western Area and urban areas of
When the applicant cannot produce documentary proof of identity and/or
Townships) of the ward or constituency where they are ordinarily resident.
eligibility, the registrar may also accept the declaration of the following
people:
16. CAN a person register in absentia?
No one is allowed to register in absentia; everyone is expected to register in
18. WHAT is the Registration team?
person.
Each Voter Registration Centre will comprise a team of 3 officials:
No one is allowed to register for another person.
 Registration Officer
A person can register only once.
 Assistant Registration Officer I (Data Entry Operator)
17. WHO qualifies to register? Assistant Registration Officer II
To be registered, a person must: The registration team will be monitored by the Ward Coordinators (WCs)
Be eligible, that is, be Sierra Leonean and be at least 18 years old on the day who in turn report to the District Electoral Officers (DEOs).
th th
before polling day, 7 March, 2017. He/she must be born on or before 7
March, 2000; 19. Who has access to the Registration Centre (RC)?
Go in person during the 28 day registration period to the nearest Voter Registra- The following people will have access to the registration centre:
tion Centre in the section/area of the ward or constituency where he/she resides;
Submit proof of eligibility, identity or residence, if required.
For the purposes of this registration proof of identity is needed to be registered.  Paramount Chief  Village Head
 Tribal Head  Religious Leader
Moreover, if the eligibility or identity of the applicant is in doubt, the Registra-
 Town Chief  Head of Educational Institution
tion Officer must request him/her to provide any of the following evidences:
 Section Chief  Councillor
Acceptable documentary proof of identity and eligibility:
i. Nationality: a National ID car d (self-produced ID cards shall not be ac-
cepted as proof of identity), a Sierra Leonean passport, birth certificate, certifi- While testimony of any one of the aforementioned authorities
is accepted, Only the Registrar shall decide whether an appli-
cate of naturalisation or affidavit indicating Sierra Leonean nationality. cant is eligible or not. An applicant, however, has the right to
appeal.
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