Good day, eveyone! Welcome of this live check of the 2023 Presidential and Legislative elections on October 10, 2023.
As Liberians go to the polls today, misinformation and disinformation are expected to inundate the information space. Our team is here to track and verify information being spread on social media and the tradition media.
This is is a live page. It will be updated throughout the day.
Spoon TV is Mostly Correct: Several Voters Were Denied Voting Because their Names were marked as “Voted.”
On elections day Spoon TV (an online TV) captioned a live video claiming that “Several people were denied voting on grounds that their names were already checked.
Report By: Aria Deemie | LVL Fact Checker
The Claim
The exact words of the live video were: “Growing tension in District 10: Several people denied voting as their names were already checked “voted ” allegedly”. This live video up till publication of this report had 2,000 reactions, 1000) comments, and 926 shares.
Rating Justification
To fact-check this claim, we contacted our fact-checker who was making rounds at voting precincts in District 10. We identified the polling center in District 10 as described in Spoon TV’s live, to be precinct center 5, 30065 at the Wells-Hairston High School on the VP Road, Old Road
Our Fact-checker interviewed one of the person’s affected namely, Hannah Lukpa, and she confirmed that she was denied voting and was told by NEC staff that her name was already marked on the Final Registration Roll.
The FRR by NEC is an alphabetical list of all eligible voters who registered to vote at a particular polling center in a district. As per the NEC’s regulation and procedure, before a voter goes to cast the vote, the voter first must check with the NEC worker if their name is available on the FFR. The voter is identified on the list and is checked to prevent the person from voting multiple times.
Meanwhile, NEC staff at the polling center and the observers present confirmed to us that some voters were unable to vote because their names appeared to have been marked already on the final registration roll (FRR). But those voters affected showed that they hadn’t voted.
In case we get a response from NEC as to why this happened, we will update this report.
Conclusion
Based on these facts gathered, we conclude that the claim by Spoon TV that “Several people were denied voting as their names were already checked “voted “allegedly” is mostly correct.
Fact Check: Website Publishing Election Results is Fake
Ahead of the announcement of the first official preliminary results by the National Elections Commission (NEC) after Tuesday’s poll, a website named Smart Elections Results Management System has been sharing what it claims are results of the October 10 polls.
Report By: Varney kelvin Sirleaf | LVL Fact Checker
Claim
Smart Elections Results Posting preliminary elections results
Rating Justification
To verify this website, we first observed that the site does not have an about section or any other basic information on its operations. At the bottom of the web page the site says it is powered by Smart Systems.
Smart System is a software development and Management Consultancy company which developed online school software that is been used in AME University, Stella Maris Polytechnic University, Cuttington University, and other universities in and out of Monrovia.
To further fact check the credibility of the Smart Election Results Management System, we first called Smart System through the inquiry numbers on the site. The software development company answered our call and said they have not created any website named Smart Election Results Management System.
We further tested the site using online site which discloses the domain ownership information and safety rating of websites.
Whois an online domain ownership information and registration tool shows that the website was created on January 18, 2017 but was updated on January 20, 2023.
This shows that the website only gets active in election year.
The URL of the website is another big clue to have doubts about the credibility of the site. It starts with “http” instead of “https” and it does not begin with the site name but instead it starts with smartsystemslib.com.
Conclusion
Based on the evidence, we conclude that the site is malicious and has no authority to publish elections results. The NEC will announce the first round of preliminary result on October 12, 2023.
Correct: CDC Chairlady Arrested with over 50 Voting Cards in Voinjama
A Facebook user, Abraham Kollie has claimed that the chairlady of the Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC) candidate Sekou B. Korlleh has been arrested by LNP officers in Marvinkonadu Town, Voinjama – Lofa County with 53 voting cards.
Report By: Jerry Gaye | LVL Fact Checker
The Claim
He wrote: “Marvinkonadu Town in voinjama Lofa county 53 pieces of voting cards was from the chairlady of CDC candidate Sekou B. Korlleh arrested by LNP officers assigned at polling percent”.
Rating Justification
Our Fact-Checking Desk has verified this claim and established that it is mostly correct. We contacted the Liberia National Police through its spokesperson Moses Cater who confirmed the arrest of Hajah Sheriff in possession of 24 voters’ cards.
In response, Mr. Cater wrote: “I just got off the line with the Lofa County Commander and he confirmed that Hajah Sheriff was seen with 24 voting cards and she informed Police that they belong to some voters who asked her to be in possession of their cards until they arrive at the voting center”.
However, Mr cater continued that the lady “is in Police custody and undergoing investigation”.
Conclusion
Based on our fact-check, we conclude that the claim made by the Facebook user that a lady in Voijama has been arrested with several voting cards is mostly correct.
Police Spokeman Moses Cater has confirmed that police in Voijama, Lofa County are investigating Hajah Sheriff for being possession of 24 voters’ cards.
Editor’s Note: This report has been updated
No Voting Materials in Jaedepo Statutory District, Sinoe County as of 3pm?
In the early hours of voting in Liberia General Elections on October 10, 2023, there have been a viral letter with claims that no voting materials arrived in Jaedepo Statutory District as of 3 pm Liberian time.
Report by: Varney Kelvin Sirleaf | LVL Fact Checking Desk
Our fact checker contacted one of the numbers in the viral letter and Otis N. Call, Sr. answered and sent a list of towns he claimed were places where voting materials had not arrived up to 2pm Tuesday.
Jaedepo Statutory District is in Electoral District #2, Sinoe County.
The Claim
Rating Justification
To verify this claim, we contacted the Director of CommunicationS at the National Elections Commission, Mr. Henry Flomo who told us that there are issues of bad roads which has been a challenge in transporting voting materials in some parts of the country.
He said there is a case where a vehicle transporting voting material stocked in the mud.
“They are drying the ballot papers and once its dry they (the people) will be allowed to vote,” said Mr. Henry.
NEC Chairperson Daviedetta Browen Lansanah said in a Press Conference that the commission has hired motorcycles to transport voting materials to that part of the country.
Also, the Election Coordinating Committee in an early election press briefing said 2% of polling places did not open at the time stipulated by NEC (8am).
ECC said the delays were caused by logistical challenges and late delivery of voting materials. The ECC said the late delivery of voting materials also happened in Sinoe Cunty.
Conclusion
Based on these facts, we conclude that the claim that voting materials did not arrived in parts of Sinoe is mostly correct.
NEC states that where the materials will arrive late, people will be allowed to vote even if it is on the next day.
Misleading: No Woman Has Been Arrested For Stamping Voter Cards at PLP Headquarters
Monrovia – A Facebook Page, JNB for Better Liberia, created to promote the presidency of former Vice President Joseph Nyumah Boakai, claimed on Election Day (October 10, 2023) that a secret voting center has been created at the Headquarters of the People’s Liberation Party (PLP) where people are casting ballots.
Fact Check By: Jerry Gaye | LVL Fact Checking Desk
The PLP is one of the parties collaborating with the Coalition for Democratic Change for the re-election of President George Weah in the ongoing election.
The Claim
The post claimed that a “lady was arrested for stamping voters card and posting it to CDC”.
Rating Justification
Local Voices Liberia Fact Checking Desk, after sighting this claim which is making rounds on social media decide to verify. We contacted the Liberia National Police Spokesman Moses Cater who told us that the information was false.
Mr. Cater explained further that he has contacted the two police zones and stations around the location and none have confirmed the arrest of any lady carrying on secret voting activities at the PLP Headquarters.
In the two images shared by the Facebook page, couple of people are seen with what appeared to be voter cards can be seen on a table while another person can be seen writing in a book. There are no ballot papers or stamps seen in the photos.
Conclusion
Based on the information received from Police Spokesman Moses Cater, we conclude that the claim made by the Facebook Page that a secret policing center has been created at the PLP Headquarters allowing people to cast ballots in the ongoing election is misleading. No woman has been arrested for carrying on secret voting and there is no voting center at the People Liberation Party’s Headquarters in Congo Town.
Were Pre-marked ballot papers discovered at the at Precinct 30292 in District #10, Smythe Road?
At about 10am this morning the chairperson on research and rapid response for the Unity Party campaign team through a Facebook post claimed that a pre-marked ballot was discovered at precinct 30292 in District #10, Montserrado County.
Report By: Aria Deemie & Olivia Banwon | LVL Fact Checking Desk
The Claim
His exact words were: “A pre-marked ballot was just discovered at precinct 30292 in district #10, Smythe Road, Old Road”. This post got 146 reactions, 86 comments and 48 shares.
Rating Justification
To fact-check this claim, our fact checker visited precinct 30292 in District 10, and saw pictures of the ballot papers in question. We were the told by the polling staff in the presence of the observers and voters that before the voting process started two ballot papers having spilled ink on them were discovered amongst the ballot papers.
We asked to examine the papers, and we saw that one of the ballot papers had ink on the voting space before Presidential aspirant Allen Brown, while the other ballot paper had ink spilling through Representative aspirants Hon. Karishma Pelham-Raad, Junior P. Russian and Yeakeh Sayequee voting spaces.
Conclusion
Therefore, we conclude that the claim by Martin K.N Kollie that a pre-marked ballot was discovered at precinct 30292, District #10 is incorrect. The ballot discovered at the Guildford G. Tompkins Junior and Senior High School on the Smythe Road were ballot papers that had spilled ink on them and were not pre-marked.
Incorrect: NEC Website Is Not Down
On October 10, 2023 the” Campaign Spokesperson of Unity Party Mo Ali during a Facebook post made at claimed that ‘’The National Elections Commission Website is down’’. This post was made at about 10 am this morning. His exact words were ‘’NEC why is your website down’’?
Report By: Aria Deemie | LVL Fact Checking Desk
Martin K N Kollie, the chairman on Research and Rapid Response of the Unity Party campaign Team also made a similar claim at about 9am that the NEC website was down, his exact words were ‘’ NEC Liberia, your website just went off. It can not be reached. Why? STOP playing with it. PLEASE put it back on and don’t cut it off again.
Rating Justification
When we checked the National Elections Commission website, we found that it is working and it’s and has been functional. Our fact-checkers even assessed the website this morning (9am-12pm) to know their voters’ information and we are still accessing it. The website traffic was heavy but was not
The National Elections Commission (NEC) is responsible for elections in Liberia. Local Voices Liberia is into fact-checking, and NEC being an authoritative source website is a resource center for LVL in terms of covering the elections today. We have been accessing the website since morning, and it has and was at no point in time shut down.
Conclusion
Therefore, the claim made by the Campaign Spokesperson of the Unity Party, -Mo Ali and Martín K N Kollie, the chairman on Research and Rapid Response of the Unity Party campaign, that The National Elections Commission Website is (was) down is incorrect. We have been actively involved with the website since morning and it has been function.
However, at about 1:40PM, Mr. Ali has reposted that the “NEC website is back online”.
This live check of the 2023 elections is made possible with support from the USAID Media Activity through Internews and the iVerify Liberia as part of the Liberia Electoral Support Project (LESP) implemented by UNDP and Partners with support from several international donors.