By Matalay S. Kollie
Ganta, Nimba County-The Project Accountable Safe Space (PASS), a coalition of local women’s rights organizations, has released a comprehensive report detailing its observations and recommendations from the ongoing Nimba County Senatorial By-election.
Speaking at a press conference in Ganta on April 22, 2025, PASS officials described the election atmosphere across all nine districts as largely peaceful. The group had deployed 18 trained local observers following a virtual training session held on April 21. The training focused on women’s participation, identifying gender-based violence indicators, and gathering gender-sensitive data during the polls.
Observers reported that polling stations opened on time, and voter access was largely smooth. However, one incident at the Venn’s precinct briefly disrupted the process, as some voters hesitated to cast their ballots due to the unexpected use of a private church as a polling location. The situation was quickly resolved, and voting resumed without further issue.
PASS commended the National Elections Commission (NEC) for providing adequate facilities for poll watchers and for maintaining a peaceful environment throughout the voting process. Still, the organization outlined a series of recommendations aimed at improving future elections.
Key among the recommendations were ensuring full accessibility for pregnant women and persons with disabilities, improving lighting at polling stations for better transparency during vote counting, and increasing voter education on electoral procedures and referendums.
PASS also emphasized the importance of a strong mechanism to address election-related complaints, urging timely investigations to preserve public trust in the democratic process.
In its closing remarks, PASS reiterated its commitment to advancing women’s participation in politics and strengthening community-based election monitoring efforts.
