Liberia eyes biometrics for voter authentication

Liberian election officials are thinking of the possibility of deploying biometrics beyond voter registration in the country’s next elections in 2029.

The west African nation conducted its first-ever biometric registration last year ahead of National Assembly and Presidential elections in October, a process described by both the government and solution providers as highly successful.

Laxton and Neurotechnology said after the elections that their collaboration provided what they called a “trusted voter registry” which played a significant role in the overall success of the polls. Nigeria also played a role in supporting Liberia’s biometric voter registration success.

Now, the National Elections Commission (NEC) says it wants to build on that success by incorporating more digital technology into the electoral process to improve participation and transparency.

According to the Executive Director of the NEC, Anthony Sengbe, it is time for the country to improve its election management framework by giving room for more innovative approaches aimed at enhancing the country’s electoral integrity.

“Building on the successes achieved during the 2023 General Elections is an important opportunity to identify areas for improvement and ways to strengthen the Electoral framework using technological solutions like authentication of voters on Election Day,” Sengbe is quoted as saying in a report by Liberian Observer.

Speaking further, the Executive Director said the biometric system helped the country establish a reliable electoral database which is one of the primary factors in ensuring a credible electoral process.

While biometric registration is laudable, using biometrics for voter verification and authentication will be an important step forward, reflecting the country’s commitment to strengthening democratic election tenets, the official posits.

In 2023, Liberian voters were verified through manual processes with voter’s cards checked against a printed electoral register.

“Introducing a biometric authentication device (verifiers) will improve the electoral process in future elections. The goal is to potentially incorporate more modern authentication technologies going forward, with the aim of enhancing the overall integrity, efficiency and credibility of future elections in Liberia,” said Sengbe as quoted.

“Applications of technology in elections will improve the electoral processes by making them more accurate and credible. Technology can increase administrative efficiency, reduce long-term costs, and enhance transparency.”

The official also mentioned activities which the NEC is involved in – such as capacity building in enhancing technological knowledge and experience sharing with other election management bodies – all aimed at making Liberia’s electoral democracy stronger.

Article Topics

Africa  |  biometric authentication  |  biometrics  |  elections  |  Liberia  |  voter registration