Claim: Four (4) ballot boxes with pre-marked ballot papers in favour of George Weah have been arrested in Foya, Lofa County
Full Text: “Four (4) ballot boxes with pre-marked ballot papers in favour of George Weah have been arrested in Foya, Lofa County. It is time to be aggressively vigilant. All our poll watchers, supervisors, and security staff need to open their eyes 👀 very wide. Be attentive.
They only have one option, and it is to CHEAT. We must not allow them. Share any information you have with us. Vote 🗳️ #1☝️”
Kollie’s received 737 reactions, 592 comments, and 433 shares as of the time of our research.
On November 13, 2023, reports circulated on Facebook about a helicopter landing in Foya with pre-marked ballot papers allegedly in favor of the ruling Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC) presidential candidate, George Weah.
The claim was also found here, here, here and here.
Verification: Addressing the issues, Davidetta Browne-Lansanah, the NEC Chairperson, stated that while the electoral body was unaware of the specifics of the reports concerning ballot papers and FRR booklets, they have not distributed any pre-marked ballot papers to the ruling party as alleged.
“The commission has not received this information in the official capacity of the commission,” Browne-Lansanah said at a press conference in Monrovia on Monday.
She added, “We hear that there are per-marked ballot papers, and the FRR booklets, etc. We don’t know what the story is. But what we can say is that, at no time, did the NEC pre-mark any ballot and distribute it anywhere.”
Lansanah noted that all the ballots were securely sealed in plastic and cloth as well as packed in “Ghana Must Go bags,” which are currently stored in the Commission’s warehouses nationwide. “Thanks to the timely delivery of the ballots by the vendor, the NEC has already begun deploying them to the 15 counties, aiming for them to reach the 2,080 precincts and polling places across the country promptly,” she said.
Conclusion: The post by Martin and other social media users cannot be proven as the “pre-marked” ballot papers cannot be seen.
