By- Aruna Rashed Toma Bangura
The Chief Electoral Commissioner and National Returning Officer of the Electoral Commission for Sierra Leone, Mohamed Kenewui Konneh has disclosed that the Commission will tomorrow 15th June,2023 conduct early voting for Presidential Election for pilgrims departing the shores of Sierra Leone to perform their Hajj pilgrimage in Mecca, Saudi Arabia.
According to the press release dated 13th June, 2023, the Commission is conducting the early voting for Presidential Election in exercise of its powers conferred on it by section 33 of the 1991 Constitution Act No.6 and pursuant to sections 7, 42 and 171 of the Public Elections Act, 2022, Act No.17 of 2022 and the Public Elections Regulations, 2023, Act No.3 of 2023.
The release stated that the early voting for Presidential Election will be conducted for pilgrims who are registered voters and who will be departing to the Holy Land of Mecca on religious pilgrimage to vote before their departure.
The release furthered that all Hajj pilgrims who applied for the Early Voting Elections are to vote at the ECSL’s District Office in the District Headquarter town where they register, adding that political parties who wish to observe the process should contact the External Relations Department for accreditations.
It discloses further the election will commence from 7am to 5pm on Thursday 15th June and counting of ballots for Early Voting will be done at the last polling stations of designated polling centres on Saturday 24th June, 2023 during the close of polls.