On 11 October, Liberia held its second election since the conclusion of the bloody civil war that lasted from 1999 to 2003. The first round of the presidential election featured 16 candidates, including incumbent President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf. IFES staff visited a number of polling stations. Julia Hedlund, Program Manager for Africa, comments:

“Rain did not deter voters who lined up very early in the morning and kept coming throughout the day to cast their ballots, leading to a high turnout for this important election. The IFES team visited different polling stations throughout Montserrado County, where Monrovia — the capital —is located. The voting process appeared to be peaceful, orderly and well-organized.

"To secure a victory and avoid a second round, the candidate would have to win 50 percent plus 1 of the vote. Unofficial results have been coming out through the media, and the National Elections Commission (NEC) will begin issuing progressive preliminary reports at a press conference today at 4 p.m., local time.  The NEC is not obliged to provide official results until 26 October.  At this point it seems likely that there will be a runoff election, which would be held on 8 November.”

To see Hedlund’s photographs of this election, click here.