Building an Informed Citizenry – Strengthening Public Participation in Elections

ROBERTSPORT, Grand Cape Mount County, 8, October 2026: About 40 participants from four counties have gathered in Robertsport to help shape a new Civic and Voter Education (CVE) Strategy ahead of the 2029 General Elections.

Participants come from Bomi, Gbarpolu, Lower Montserrado and host Grand Cape Mount County, bringing valuable local experience to the discussion.

Gathering forms part of the ongoing Regional Stakeholders Consultation on the Civic and Voter Education Strategy, which is collecting inputs for a new strategy ahead of 2029 General Elections.

Promoting inclusion, encouraging civic participation and fostering peaceful engagement are essential to conducting credible, transparent and inclusive elections.

Opening the engagement on behalf of the NEC Board of Commissioners, Commissioner Cllr. Ernestine Morgan Awar reminded participants that their contributions will help enrich the draft strategy and inform its validation and implementation.

Commissioner Awar emphasized that public participation in developing the NEC CVE Strategy will help identify what is working, what needs strengthening and which approaches best reach citizens throughout the electoral cycle.

NEC Deputy Executive Director for External Relations, Mr. Samuel B Cole, used his presentation to enlighten stakeholders on the importance of democracy and meaningful public participation.

Mr. Cole urged citizens to act responsibly by engaging constructively and meaningfully throughout elections.

Mr. Robert Irish, Inclusive Electoral Process and Reform Specialist with the UNDP Liberia Electoral Support Project (LESP) described CVE as a vital component of any credible electoral process.

Mr. Irish highlighted invalid votes as a serious challenge that must be addressed through effective and sustained civic and voter education.

Mr. Irish noted that effective CVE strategies give voters essential information on where, how and when to vote, while encouraging citizens to participate responsibly and cast their ballots correctly.

Robertsport engagement is the second phase of the CVE Regional Stakeholders Consultation, with more sessions expected in Ganta and Harper in coming weeks.

This initiative is jointly implemented and funded by National Elections Commission of Liberia (NEC Liberia) and the UNDP Liberia Electoral Support Project (LESP), with additional support from the European Union in Liberia, Sweden and Ireland.

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