On 29 September 2017, the National Elections Commission (NEC) received the penultimate batch of ballot papers that will be used during election day on the 10 October 2017, now barely 10 days away. With support from UNDP, operations and logistics plans are in place and fully in use. The NEC is preparing to transport the ballots and other electoral materials to voting precinct across the country.
The final delivery of ballots is expected to all the 15 counties by 6 October 2017, ready for onward delivery to 5,390 polling places before voting opens on 10 October 2017. According to NEC, the bulk of materials will be ferried by road transport under police escort. However, due to the weather conditions and in order for the materials to reach remote areas, porters and canoes will be deployed by the National Elections Commission.
In addition, special chartered helicopters have been secured, courtesy of United Nations Mission in Liberia (UNMIL), and will be deployed where needed especially in the remote centres, some 13 of them, covering seven counties in the south east, as identified by the NEC. In some specific cases, special shipment is also being arranged in some identified areas, ahead of the election day.
Overall, however, and as per the operations and logistical plans for the 2017 elections, the National Elections Commission is taking the lead in the delivery of elections materials and in the elections themselves, with the UNDP and partners, the European Union, Ireland, Sweden and Canada providing technical support. The Governments of Japan and Germany are supporting the deployment of security across the country during the elections and in the run-off, if held.