Introduction - WordPress.com€¦ · seem to be congruent with the efforts made for this election. National Elections Watch (NEW), a coalition of civil society organizations that

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Introduction On July 5, 2008, Sierra Leone held its second local council elections since the end of its 10 year civil war in 2002. While largely heralded as free and fair, the elections suffered from a voter turn‐out of 38.8%, in stark contrast to the 75.8% voter turn‐out of the 2007 Presidential and Parliamentary elections. According to discussions with National Democratic Institute (NDI), most countries have voter turn‐outs of under 40%, hovering closer to 30%, for local council elections. Accordingly, Sierra Leone’s local council elections voter turn‐out is considered relatively good. Nonetheless, this turn‐out came as a disappointment to civil society, who witnessed the low participation through no lines at the polling stations, NEC officials lounging around, and empty voter booths. Because civil society engaged in a wide variety of elections preparation activities, including trainings, voter education, promotion of women in politics, supporting the diversification of leadership, and awareness campaigns, the turn‐out did not seem to be congruent with the efforts made for this election. National Elections Watch (NEW), a coalition of civil society organizations that observes all elections processes, conducted this post‐elections voter survey in order to understand more fully the voting patterns of this election. The survey had the following objectives:

To understand the reasons why the voter turn‐out was low; To gauge voters’ perspectives of local council and the elections process; and To comprehend the information flow of voter education and other election issues.

This report provides the full analysis of the data collected from this survey.

Methodology Using the nationwide network of NEW members (district coordinators and observers) as voluntary enumerators, this survey was conducted in each district of the country. While it was planned that 50 surveys would be completed in each provincial district and 200 would be completed in Freetown (because Freetown has a higher population), the actual number of surveys completed per district varied from 26 in Kailahun to 225 in Freetown. The difference in the number of surveys planned and completed was, in part, due to difficulties in transporting the surveys within the short period of time allotted for the surveys and, in part, due to inherent challenges in implementing a survey with many different enumerators. The following graph shows the completed survey distribution per district:

PostElection Voter Survey Results and Analysis National Elections Watch July 2008

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In total, 876 individuals participated in this survey. 48% of the respondents were male, 50% were female, and 2% left the gender section blank. Over 50% of participants were under the age of 35 (as shown in the graph), which is reflective of the overall young Sierra Leonean population, which has a median age of 17.5 years1.

The respondents were chosen at random through approaching every other house on a given street and surveying the first registered voter met in the house, alternating the gender of the respondents. Registered voters were chosen as the target population, as this survey was designed to understand the voting patterns of individuals who voted in this election and who did not vote in this election but were eligible to vote (registered). For specific survey instructions, please see Annex I. Once a respondent agreed to participate in the survey, the enumerator conducted the survey verbally, in order to create consistency among literate and non‐literate respondents. For the survey questionnaire, please see Annex II. Due to time and resource constraints, the survey was conducted primarily in or near the headquarter towns in each district. As such, the results of this survey are biased toward a more urban voting population, as opposed to inclusive of all voters from more rural areas. This could, in part, explain why the respondents of this survey tended to have a higher education level than would be representative of

1 CIA World Factbook, https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/sl.html

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the larger Sierra Leonean population, with over 50% of those surveyed having completed secondary school or tertiary school (please see graph), as opposed to national statistics of less than 20% reaching this level2. Another explanation for this bias towards a more educated sample is that enumerators reported a resistance among less educated people to participate in the survey, due to sensitiviey in disclosing voting patterns or the belief that they did not have anything valuable to contribute to the survey. Of those surveyed, 95% voted in the 2007 Presidential and Parliamentary Elections and 76% voted in the 2008 Local Council Election. As discussed above, one major constraint in conducting this survey was that many individuals were resistant to sharing their voter information. According to the NEW enumerators, this resistance was especially true among individuals who did not vote, as they either did not want to take the time to answer questions about the elections or they felt inadequate to answer such questions and, therefore, refused to participate. This constraint, in combination with the more urban‐focused nature of the survey, are possible explanations for the fact that the percentage of survey respondents who voted in the 2008 Local Council Elections (76%) is drastically higher than the national voter turn‐out (38.8%). Despite this discrepancy, the findings in this survey still provide valuable information regarding voter attitudes and behaviors in the 2008 Local Council Election.

Findings There was relatively no difference in voter turn‐out between male and female respondents (79% and 74%, respectively). In terms of party affiliation, there were more members of political parties among voters than among non‐voters, suggesting that party affiliation is a motivating factor in voting (see graph below). Education level also appears to have influenced voting patterns, as more individuals without education did not vote and more individuals with higher education did vote (please see graph).

Voter turn‐out also varied by location. As shown in the graph below, Bombali had the highest voter turn‐out at 98%, while Kailahun had the lowest voter‐turnout at 15%, making it to the only district with more non‐voter survey respondents than voter respondents. Koinadugu, Tonkolili, and Western Rural districts also had a relatively low number of survey respondents who voted in 2008.

2 World Bank, http://siteresources.worldbank.org

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Among the individuals who did not vote, a number of reasons were given as to why they did not vote. The most common response was “I was not present in the place where I registered to vote on Election Day,” followed by “I did not know the candidates” and “The candidate I was supporting for the nomination process was not chosen as a candidate.” The least common response was “I or someone I know received harassment.”

While the trends for males and females regarding reasons not to vote are similar, “I was hungry” was much more common among females than males. Meanwhile, “I didn’t undestand the boundaries of my ward” was more common among males.

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While being intimidated or harassed was not listed as one of the primary reasons deterring respondents from voting, approximately 14% of respondents claimed that they or someone they knew had been intimidated or harassed during the elections process. The following graph illustrates who was listed as responsible for this intimidation/harassment. As displayed, the political parties were most commonly responsible, suggesting that the way in which the party system works in Sierra Leone pre‐disposes the elections process to undue harassment.

There was not a large difference in respondent’s reports of harassment among voters and non‐voters (13% and 17%, respectively). However, there was a difference in the source of the intimidation/ harassment. As shown in the graph, more voters experienced harassment from party supporters, while more non‐voters experienced harassment from cabinet ministers or resident ministers. Both voters and non‐voters experienced intimidation/harassment from political party officials.

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Reports of intimidation/harassment also varied by district. The district with the most survey responses of experiences of intimidation and harassment was Kailahun with 96%, followed by Kono with 33%.

The following graph shows who was reportedly responsible for the intimidation/harassment by district. In Bo, Kenema, Koinadugu, and Western Urban, the primary intimidation/harassment was from party supporters. In Bombali, the primary intimidation/harassment was from NEC and chiefs. Chiefs were also most responsible in Kono. In Kailahun, the primary people responsible for the intimidation/ harassment were Cabinet Ministers or Resident Ministers. Political party officials were the primary group responsible in Kambia and Western Rural, with the candidates also responsible for it in Western Rural, Pujehun, and Tonkolili. MP’s were the most responsible in Port Loko. Bonthe did not have any respondents identify who was responsible for the intimidation/harassment.

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Almost all of the respondents (92%) received elections information before Election Day, with relatively little variation based on gender, voter/non‐voter, or district. As shown in the graph below, the most common source of elections information was the radio, specifically Independent Radio Network (IRN). SFCG/Talking Drum Studios was listed as the fourth most common source of elections information.

IRN was the most common source of elections information in Bo, Bombali, Bonthe, Kambia, Kenema, Moyamba, Tonkolili and Western Urban. The most common information news source in Kailahun was the candidates. In Koinadugu and Pujehun, it was NEC. And in Kono, Port Loko, and Western Rural it was other radio sources outside of IRN and TDS.

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Not only did IRN provide elections information, the respondents largely believed IRN to be credible, trustworthy, and valuable for reducing violence in the community. Furthermore, the efforts of IRN, TDS, and other radio stations to promote female candidates was deemed sufficient in the eyes of the respondents, which was reinforced by the fact that respondents do not believe government should be run by males. These opinions were held equally by both males and females, and by voters and non‐voters.

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The following graphs show the responses of the above questions per district:

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The results of this survey also demonstrate that respondents understand the functions of Local Council—that they are a development engine for the community. Respondents view the Local Council as beneficial to them as individuals, but more beneficial to the community as a whole. However, there is still a view of councilors, and politicians in general, as corrupt, which could disrupt the perception of the potential effectiveness of local councils.

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The responses to the above questions were the same for males and females, but differed slightly for voters and non‐voters, illustrating a lower perception of local council among non‐voters, as follows:

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Answers to the above questions also varied slightly by district, as demonstrated in the graphs below:

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Overall, nationwide respondents saw their vote as important and viewed the election as primarily free and fair, claiming that they were able to vote for whoever they wanted to vote for. This is an important measure of the success of the election as a whole.

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Once again, there was no difference in responses between males and females, but there was a difference between voters and non‐voters. As shown in the graphs below, non‐voters had a generally lower perception of the importance of their vote, their ability to vote freely, and the fairness of the elections.

The trends in response to the above questions were generally the same per district. However, in Kailahun, the majority of respondents said that they were afraid to vote in the election and that they did not feel that they were able to vote for whoever they wanted to vote for, which is most likely reflective of the fact that the majority of survey respondents in Kailahun experienced elections‐related intimidation or harassment.

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Conclusions Overall, the results of this survey suggest that while there was elections‐related intimidation and harassment, especially in Kailahun, the 2008 Local Council Elections were perceived as free and fair. The main issues that prevented registered voters from voting were being far from where they registered to vote and not having a clear understanding of either who the candidates were or who they should choose to vote for. While elections information was abundant and the majority of respondents received elections information, perhaps more information should have been given about the candidates themselves. Nonetheless, it is clear from this survey that the elections information campaigns, especially on the radio, were successful. Repondents had a clear understanding of the purpose of local council and had a generally positive view of local council, despite believing that many politicians are corrupt. The efforts of IRN were deemed both important and widespread and the campaign to promote female candidates was more than sufficient in promoting the view that women can hold a place in government.

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Annex I POST-ELECTIONS VOTER SURVEY INSTRUCTIONS

This survey is designed to discover the main reasons that caused the low voter-turnout for the 2008 Local Council Elections. In conducting the survey, please follow these instructions:

• Conduct 50 surveys in total – 25 with men and 25 with women • Choose the respondents in the following way:

o Choose one street in the district. You will be talking to people who live in the houses on that street.

o When choosing houses, you will go to every other house on the left side of the street. In other words, go to the first house on the left. When you are done with that, skip the house next to it, and knock on the next house after that.

For example, if this is what the left side of the street looked like: A B C D E F G H

You would go to houses A, C, E, and G.

o Beginning with the first house on the left side of the street, knock on the door and ask for someone in the house who is registered to vote. At the first house, ask for a male. If there is no male registered voter, then move on. In the example above, if you start at house A and there is no male, go to house C and ask again.

o For the second house, ask for a female. i.e. if you speak to a male in house C, ask for a female in house E.

o Continue alternating gender in that way: talk to one male, then talk to one female, etc. in order to ensure that you speak with ½ males and ½ females.

o When you finish one street, choose another one and repeat the same process. • Before beginning the survey, ask them for permission to ask them some questions about

this past election. If they agree, next to the statement “DOES THE RESPONDENT WILLINGLY AGREE TO PROVIDE TURTHFUL INFORMATION TO THESE QUESTIONS (CIRCLE ONE):” circle yes and continue with the survey. If they say no because they don’t have time, thank them and move on without marking anything on the survey paper. If they say no because they do not feel comfortable answering these questions, circle no on the survey, get the information about their gender/age/education,etc., and leave the rest of the survey blank.

• First fill in all the information in the box on the top of the survey. Do not record the respondent’s name.

• Then ask all the rest of the questions. For the questions with boxes, just put a check or x in the appropriate boxes.

• If necessary, you may translate the question into Krio or another local language, but be sure to maintain the meaning of the question.

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Annex II POST-ELECTIONS VOTER SURVEY

ENUMERATOR NAME: ________________________________________________________________________ ENUMERATOR ORGANIZATION: ______________________________________________________________ DATE: _____________________________ TOWN/VILLAGE: ________________________________________ WARD: ______________ CONSTITUENCY: ____________ DISTRICT: _______________________________ DOES THE RESPONDENT WILLINGLY AGREE TO PROVIDE TURTHFUL INFORMATION TO THESE QUESTIONS (CIRCLE ONE): YES NO RESPONDENT AGE: ______________________ RESPONDENT GENDER: __________________________ HAVE YOU VOTED BEFORE? YES NO ARE YOU A MEMBER OF A POLITICAL PARTY? YES NO

LEVEL OF EDUCATION:□ NONE □ PRIMARY □ FORM 1 – 3 □ FORM 4 – 5TH □ TERTIARY

1) Did you vote in the 2007 Presidential and Parliamentary election? □ Yes □ No

2) Did you vote in the 2008 Local Council Election? □ Yes □ No If yes, go to question 4. 3) If no, please tell us the three main reasons why you didn’t vote. Please check the column that has 1 for the most

important, the column that has 2 for the second most important and 3 for the third most important. 1 2 3 □ □ □ I did not know there was an election.

□ □ □ I did not know the process of voting. □ □ □ I was not present in the place where I registered to vote on Election Day. □ □ □ I was told that I would have to pay my taxes at the polling station. □ □ □ The candidate I was supporting for the nomination process was not chosen as a candidate.

□ □ □ I did not know the candidates. □ □ □ I could not choose who to vote for. □ □ □ I had to work that day. □ □ □ I was hungry. □ □ □ The weather was bad. □ □ □ I didn’t think it was necessary to vote. □ □ □ I didn’t understand the boundaries of my ward. □ □ □ I did not have confidence in NEC. □ □ □ I do not have confidence in Local Council and/or politicians. □ □ □ I or someone I know was intimidated □ □ □ I or someone I know received harassment. □ □ □ Other (please specify): _____________________________________________________

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4) Were you or someone you know intimidated or harassed during the electoral process? □ Yes □ No 5) If yes, who was responsible for the intimidation/harassment? Please check the column that has 1 for the most

important, the column that has 2 for the second most important and 3 for the third most important. 1 2 3 □ □ □ Candidates □ □ □ MPs □ □ □ Cabinet Ministers or Resident Ministers □ □ □ Government Officials □ □ □ National Electoral Commission (NEC) □ □ □ Political Party Officials □ □ □ Police □ □ □ Chiefs □ □ □ Religious Leaders □ □ □ Non-Governmental Organizations / Civil Society Organizations □ □ □ Party supporters □ □ □ Family Members □ □ □ Other (please specify): _____________________________________________________

6) Did you receive information about the 2008 Local Council Elections before Election Day? □ Yes □ No

7) Where did you most commonly receive elections information? Please check the column that has 1 for the most important, the column that has 2 for the second most important and 3 for the third most important. 1 2 3

□ □ □ I did not receive elections information. □ □ □ Family □ □ □ Friends □ □ □ Spouse/friend □ □ □ Community □ □ □ Candidates □ □ □ Local Authorities □ □ □ Political Parties □ □ □ National Electoral Commission (NEC) □ □ □ Government Officials □ □ □ Religious Leaders □ □ □ Independent Radio Network (IRN) □ □ □ Talking Drum Studio □ □ □ Other Radio □ □ □ Television □ □ □ Non-Governmental Organizations / Civil Society Organizations □ □ □ Other (please specify): _____________________________________________________

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For the following questions, please circle one of the answers that reflects how you feel about the statement. 8) Local councils are important for my personal well-being.

a. Strongly Agree b. Agree c. Neutral d. Disagree e. Strongly Disagree

9) Local councils are important for my community. a. Strongly Agree b. Agree c. Neutral d. Disagree e. Strongly Disagree

10) Most local councilors are corrupt.


11) Local government can bring development to this nation. a. Strongly Agree b. Agree c. Neutral d. Disagree e. Strongly Disagree

12) Central government is more important than local government.


13) My vote is important. a. Strongly Agree b. Agree c. Neutral d. Disagree e. Strongly Disagree

14) Government, including local government, should be run by males.


15) The 2008 Local Council Elections was free and fair. a. Strongly Agree b. Agree c. Neutral d. Disagree e. Strongly Disagree

16) I was afraid to vote in the 2008 Local Council Elections.


17) On Elections Day I felt I was able to vote for whoever I wanted to vote for. a. Strongly Agree b. Agree c. Neutral d. Disagree e. Strongly Disagree

18) IRN provided me with balanced and credible elections news.


19) The news provided by IRN helped reduce elections-related violence in my community. a. Strongly Agree b. Agree c. Neutral d. Disagree e. Strongly Disagree

20) The radio did enough promotion and profiling of female candidates.


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Annex III – Tables of Responses by Gender, Voter/Non‐Voter, and District Gender/Overall Description Responses Male (%) Female (%) Overall (%)

Respondents 48 50 100

Yes 61 59 60 Member of Political Party

No 36 38 37

Yes 96 94 95 Voted in 2007 Election

No 3 6 5

Yes 79 74 76 Voted in 2008 Local Council Election No 21 26 23

I did not know there was an election

0 1 0

I did not know the process of voting

6 5 5

I was not present in the place where I registered to vote on Election Day

35 27 30

I was told that I would have to pay my taxes at the polling station

1 6 4

The candidate I was supporting for the nomination process was not chosen as a candidate

26 20 23

I did not know the candidates

31 25 27

I could not choose who to vote for

18 22 20

I had to work that day

17 13 15

I was hungry 14 25 20

The weather was bad

3 6 5

Reasons Respondents Did Not Vote (percentages are out of the respondents who did not vote in the 2008 Local Council Election)

I didn't think it was necessary to vote

19 20 20

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I didn't understand the boundaries of my ward

23 16 20

I did not have confidence in NEC

3 2 2

I do not have confidence in Local Council and/or politicians

23 21 21

I or someone I know was intimidated

3 2 2

I or someone I know received harassment

1 2 1

Other 9 13 11

Yes 15 11 14 Were you or someone you know intimidated or harrassed during the electoral process?

No 82 87 84

Candidates 9 22 15

MPs 8 10 8

Cabinet Ministers or Resident Ministers

22 10 20

Government Officials

8 4 6

NEC 6 0 3

Political Party Officials

36 34 33

Police 16 6 11

Chiefs 14 28 19

Religious Leaders 5 2 3

NGO's/CSO's 6 4 5

Party Supporters 42 42 39

Family 11 12 11

Who was responsible for the intimidation or harassment?

Other 5 0 2

Yes 94 90 92 Did you receive elections information before Election Day? No 2 6 4

Where did you most Family 14 19 15

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Friends 18 23 20

Spouse/Friend 6 7 6

Community 16 18 17

Candidates 24 20 23

Local Authorities 7 8 7

Political Parties 24 25 24

NEC 41 43 41


7 6 7

Religious Leaders 8 9 8

IRN 53 57 50

TDS 26 22 24

Other Radio 42 53 48

TV 10 9 10

NGO's/CSO's 19 23 21

commonly receive elections information?

Other 3 2 2

Strongly Agree 39 37 38

Agree 29 28 28

Neutral 6 8 8

Disagree 15 17 16

Local Councils are important for my personal well‐being

Strongly Disagree 9 7 8


Agree 29 35 32

Neutral 2 4 3

Disagree 3 3 3

Local councils are important for my community



Agree 30 34 32

Neutral 18 21 19

Disagree 17 12 15

Most local councilors are corrupt



Agree 35 40 38

Neutral 6 7 6

Disagree 3 5 4

Local government can bring development to this nation



Agree 25 26 25

Neutral 9 11 10

Disagree 24 23 24

Central government is more important than local government


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Agree 14 15 15

Neutral 2 3 3

Disagree 1 2 1

My vote is important



Agree 7 4 5

Neutral 5 5 5

Disagree 38 28 32

Government, including local government, should be run by males



Agree 35 28 32

Neutral 11 15 13

Disagree 9 12 11

The 2008 Local Council Elections was free and fair



Agree 9 9 9

Neutral 7 6 6

Disagree 40 43 41

I was afraid to vote in the 2008 Local Council Elections



Agree 35 29 32

Neutral 4 7 5

Disagree 7 10 8

On Elections Day I felt I was able to vote for whoever I wanted to vote for



Agree 39 41 40

Neutral 6 7 7

Disagree 5 5 4

IRN provided me with balanced and credible elections news



Agree 39 41 40

Neutral 6 8 8

Disagree 4 4 4

The news provided by IRN helped reduce elections‐related violence in my community



Agree 35 32 33

Neutral 6 5 5

Disagree 4 4 4

The radio did enough promotion and profiling of female candidates


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Voter/Non‐Voter Description Responses Voted in

2008 Did Not Vote in 2008

Respondents 671 205

Yes 63% 52% Member of Political Party

No 34% 44%

Yes 96% 92% Voted in 2007 Election

No 4% 8%

None 18% 28%

Primary 7% 8%

Form 1 ‐ 3 14% 13%

Form 4 ‐ 6 29% 27%

Level of Education

Tertiary 30% 19%

Yes 13% 17% Were you or someone you know intimidated or harrassed during the electoral process?

No 85% 79%

Candidates 17% 9%

MPs 7% 11%

Cabinet Ministers or Resident Ministers

9% 46%


7% 3%

NEC 3% 3%


31% 37%

Police 13% 6%

Chiefs 25% 3%

Religious Leaders 3% 3%

NGO's/CSO's 3% 9%

Party Supporters 47% 20%

Family 13% 6%


Other 3% 0%

Yes 92% 93% Did you receive elections information before Election Day?

No 4% 4%

Family 17% 17%

Friends 20% 23%

Spouse/Friend 7% 6%

Community 17% 17%

Where did you most commonly receive elections information?

Candidates 24% 19%

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Local Authorities 8% 6%

Political Parties 24% 23%

NEC 45% 28%


7% 5%

Religious Leaders 9% 5%

IRN 56% 47%

TDS 25% 20%

Other Radio 49% 42%

TV 10% 10%

NGO's/CSO's 20% 22%

Other 2% 2%

Strongly Agree 40% 30%

Agree 30% 23%

Neutral 5% 17%

Disagree 15% 19%


Strongly Disagree 8% 8%


Agree 31% 35%

Neutral 2% 7%

Disagree 1% 7%

Local councils are important for my community



Agree 34% 26%

Neutral 18% 22%

Disagree 15% 15%




Agree 37% 39%

Neutral 4% 13%

Disagree 2% 9%




Agree 25% 24%

Neutral 10% 8%

Disagree 25% 21%




Agree 11% 29%

Neutral 1% 9%


Disagree 1% 3%

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Agree 5% 6%

Neutral 5% 6%

Disagree 33% 29%




Agree 32% 32%

Neutral 8% 28%

Disagree 11% 10%




Agree 8% 13%

Neutral 4% 14%

Disagree 41% 40%




Agree 33% 27%

Neutral 2% 17%

Disagree 7% 16%

On Elections Day I felt I was able to vote for whoever I wanted to vote for



Agree 41% 36%

Neutral 5% 12%

Disagree 4% 5%




Agree 42% 32%

Neutral 6% 14%

Disagree 4% 4%




Agree 33% 34%

Neutral 6% 4%

Disagree 4% 5%

The radio did enough promotion and profiling of female candidates


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District Description

Responses

Bo Bombali

Bonthe

Kailahun

Kambia

Kenema

Koinadugu

Kono

Moyamba

Port Loko

Pujehun

Tonkolili

Western Rural

Western Urban

Respondents

60 44 50 26 51 50 50 57 50 56 57 50 50 225

Yes 32% 39% 54% 73% 73% 64% 52% 65% 80% 38% 65% 68% 64% 67% Member of Political Party

No 68% 57% 46% 15% 23% 30% 42% 35% 20% 57% 33% 26% 30% 32%

18 ‐ 25 23% 18% 30% 12% 20% 28% 30% 11% 36% 27% 14% 24% 24% 30% 26 ‐ 35 30% 30% 26% 31% 31% 22% 42% 16% 28% 30% 21% 32% 26% 33% 36 ‐ 45 18% 32% 28% 27% 24% 16% 28% 19% 14% 16% 21% 18% 22% 16% 45 ‐ 55 15% 14% 8% 15% 12% 16% 6% 19% 4% 13% 12% 12% 14% 12%

Age Distribution

55+ 13% 5% 0% 12% 12% 18% 4% 7% 12% 14% 26% 14% 12% 7%

None 27% 16% 18% 58% 22% 32% 16% 5% 26% 25% 19% 28% 26% 13% Primary 7% 7% 6% 31% 14% 16% 4% 5% 6% 5% 11% 8% 10% 4% Form 1 ‐ 3

18% 11% 20% 27% 16% 14% 18% 26% 16% 16% 14% 12% 12% 8%

Form 4 ‐ 6

33% 16% 28% 15% 16% 16% 40% 28% 42% 21% 28% 34% 18% 34%

Level of Education

Tertiary 13% 50% 28% 12% 31% 22% 16% 33% 10% 32% 21% 14% 32% 37%

Yes 93% 100% 92% 92% 96% 96% 98% 96% 92% 89% 100% 92% 96% 94% Voted in 2007 Election

No 7% 0% 8% 4% 2% 4% 2% 4% 8% 9% 0% 6% 4% 5%

Yes 78% 98% 72% 15% 88% 90% 56% 93% 74% 68% 95% 58% 60% 79% Voted in 2008 Local Council Election

No 22% 2% 28% 85% 10% 10% 44% 7% 26% 30% 5% 40% 40% 20%

Reasons Respondents

I did not know there was an

0% 0% 0% 0% 0% 0% 0% 0% 0% 0% 33% 0% 0% 0%

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election

I did not know the process of voting

0% 100% 0% 5% 0% 0% 5% 100%

0% 0% 0% 5% 10% 2%

I was not present in the place where I registered to vote on Election Day

38% 100% 43% 5% 40% 80% 5% 0% 54% 29% 33% 15% 60% 28%

Did Not Vote (percentages are out of the respondents who did not vote in the 2008 Local Council Election)

I was told that I would have to pay my taxes at the polling station

0% 0% 0% 0% 20% 0% 0% 0% 0% 0% 0% 5% 0% 13%

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The candidate I was supporting for the nomination process was not chosen as a candidate

0% 0% 7% 5% 20% 0% 86% 50% 46% 18% 0% 25% 10% 15%

I did not know the candidates

31% 100% 7% 0% 20% 20% 73% 25% 8% 29% 0% 40% 0% 37%

I could not choose who to vote for

31% 0% 0% 0% 40% 0% 18% 25% 38% 18% 0% 30% 25% 26%

I had to work that day

15% 0% 21% 0% 20% 40% 5% 0% 31% 18% 0% 25% 10% 13%

I was hungry

23% 0% 0% 32% 0% 20% 0% 0% 0% 53% 0% 40% 45% 11%

The weather was bad

0% 0% 7% 0% 0% 20% 0% 0% 8% 12% 0% 10% 0% 7%

I didn't think it

31% 0% 14% 9% 40% 0% 27% 0% 31% 12% 0% 10% 20% 28%

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was necessary to vote I didn't understand the boundaries of my ward

0% 0% 7% 45% 0% 0% 14% 0% 0% 24% 0% 20% 25% 30%

I did not have confidence in NEC

0% 0% 7% 0% 0% 20% 0% 0% 0% 6% 0% 0% 0% 4%

I do not have confidence in Local Council and/or politicians

15% 0% 14% 0% 40% 0% 82% 50% 0% 24% 0% 10% 10% 20%

I or someone I know was intimidated

0% 0% 0% 0% 0% 0% 0% 50% 0% 0% 0% 5% 0% 4%

I or someone I know received harassm

0% 0% 0% 0% 0% 0% 0% 0% 0% 0% 0% 0% 5% 4%

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ent

Other 38% 0% 7% 0% 0% 0% 0% 0% 46% 29% 67% 0% 5% 7%

Yes 10% 2% 10% 96% 14% 14% 2% 33% 6% 11% 9% 4% 8% 14% Were you or someone you know intimidated or harrassed during the electoral process?

No 90% 98% 90% 4% 86% 86% 98% 65% 94% 86% 89% 94% 88% 80%

Candidates

17% 0% 0% 8% 0% 14% 0% 16% 0% 0% 40% 100% 50% 16%

MPs 0% 0% 0% 0% 0% 29% 0% 0% 0% 83% 0% 0% 0% 10% Cabinet Ministers or Resident Ministers

0% 0% 0% 64% 0% 14% 0% 0% 33% 0% 0% 0% 0% 19%


0% 0% 0% 0% 0% 14% 0% 5% 0% 0% 0% 0% 0% 16%


NEC 17% 100% 0% 0% 0% 0% 0% 0% 33% 0% 0% 0% 0% 3%

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17% 0% 0% 24% 14% 14% 0% 68% 33% 17% 0% 0% 50% 45%

Police 33% 0% 0% 0% 0% 14% 0% 5% 0% 0% 0% 50% 0% 26% Chiefs 17% 100% 0% 0% 0% 29% 0% 84% 0% 33% 0% 0% 0% 3% Religious Leaders

33% 0% 0% 0% 0% 0% 0% 0% 33% 0% 0% 50% 0% 0%

NGO's/CSO's

0% 0% 0% 4% 0% 0% 0% 11% 0% 17% 0% 0% 0% 6%

Party Supporters

67% 0% 0% 4% 29% 57% 100% 74% 33% 67% 20% 0% 25% 48%

Family 17% 0% 0% 0% 14% 19% 0% 21% 33% 0% 0% 0% 25% 10% Other 0% 0% 0% 0% 0% 14% 0% 0% 0% 0% 0% 0% 25% 3%

Yes 95% 95% 100%

92% 98% 94% 98% 86% 94% 93% 88% 98% 90% 87% Did you receive elections information before Election Day?

No 5% 0% 0% 8% 0% 2% 0% 7% 6% 2% 11% 0% 4% 7%

Family 7% 7% 28% 0% 24% 11% 8% 12% 38% 19% 2% 2% 29% 22% Friends 14% 7% 20% 8% 34% 23% 12% 35% 45% 21% 6% 0% 36% 19% Spouse/Friend

2% 10% 10% 0% 20% 2% 0% 4% 17% 10% 0% 0% 18% 4%

Community

16% 14% 4% 0% 34% 15% 14% 8% 53% 8% 2% 0% 38% 20%

Candidates

32% 17% 6% 54% 38% 40% 10% 16% 23% 19% 4% 12% 31% 25%

Where did you most commonly receive elections informa Local 4% 12% 2% 0% 16% 6% 0% 10% 19% 6% 2% 0% 20% 7%

33

Authorities Political Parties

33% 7% 34% 8% 22% 47% 6% 39% 26% 42% 20% 2% 44% 16%

NEC 54% 33% 44% 0% 50% 36% 78% 33% 62% 50% 76% 35% 31% 24% Government Officials

0% 5% 0% 0% 10% 6% 4% 4% 19% 12% 4% 2% 22% 6%

Religious Leaders

4% 10% 14% 0% 22% 4% 0% 6% 32% 6% 0% 0% 16% 6%

IRN 74% 43% 72% 4% 78% 60% 49% 14% 74% 21% 56% 80% 24% 59% TDS 14% 10% 28% 0% 28% 30% 20% 14% 55% 15% 54% 27% 29% 17% Other Radio

32% 36% 28% 0% 56% 49% 29% 43% 57% 60% 68% 53% 73% 51%

TV 0% 14% 0% 0% 6% 2% 0% 4% 9% 13% 2% 2% 31% 20% NGO's/CSO's

9% 21% 2% 25% 30% 23% 73% 33% 36% 27% 20% 6% 27% 7%

tion?

Other 0% 0% 4% 0% 14% 2% 0% 2% 0% 0% 0% 0% 2% 3%

Strongly Agree

27% 43% 46% 19% 47% 48% 36% 40% 2% 55% 19% 50% 60% 36%

Agree 48% 34% 38% 23% 18% 38% 42% 26% 14% 32% 14% 26% 16% 28% Neutral 7% 7% 6% 54% 4% 4% 8% 5% 14% 2% 7% 8% 8% 6% Disagree 13% 9% 0% 4% 18% 4% 14% 12% 58% 5% 16% 8% 6% 23%


Strongly Disagree

5% 0% 10% 0% 10% 4% 0% 14% 8% 2% 40% 6% 2% 6%

Strongly Agree

55% 57% 68% 50% 63% 66% 32% 56% 22% 54% 74% 64% 74% 70%

Agree 42% 36% 24% 50% 29% 32% 46% 37% 78% 38% 23% 26% 10% 22% Neutral 0% 0% 4% 0% 6% 0% 8% 5% 0% 2% 2% 8% 6% 2%

Local councils are important for Disagree 3% 2% 4% 0% 0% 0% 14% 0% 0% 4% 0% 0% 4% 3%

34

my community

Strongly Disagree

0% 0% 0% 0% 2% 0% 0% 0% 0% 0% 0% 0% 0% 0%

Strongly Agree

20% 30% 18% 4% 43% 10% 8% 39% 14% 29% 25% 54% 34% 23%



Strongly Disagree

5% 2% 0% 0% 6% 0% 6% 19% 0% 0% 5% 4% 2% 9%

Strongly Agree

43% 57% 40% 73% 51% 54% 12% 51% 28% 45% 49% 52% 60% 60%



Strongly Disagree

0% 0% 0% 0% 0% 0% 0% 0% 0% 0% 0% 2% 2% 0%

Strongly Agree

27% 34% 28% 0% 31% 24% 16% 54% 10% 46% 21% 56% 14% 30%



Strongly Disagree

8% 7% 6% 62% 6% 4% 0% 9% 4% 7% 19% 6% 16% 8%

Strongly Agree

80% 73% 96% 15% 75% 82% 56% 75% 76% 75% 91% 72% 82% 80%

Agree 17% 14% 4% 58% 12% 18% 36% 11% 20% 20% 5% 16% 2% 12% Neutral 0% 0% 0% 27% 4% 0% 4% 11% 0% 4% 0% 2% 2% 1%


Disagree 2% 0% 0% 0% 2% 0% 4% 2% 2% 0% 2% 2% 2% 1%

35

Strongly Disagree

0% 11% 0% 0% 2% 0% 0% 0% 0% 0% 0% 4% 2% 2%

Strongly Agree

2% 18% 2% 0% 12% 4% 2% 4% 10% 7% 14% 6% 12% 7%



Strongly Disagree

75% 45% 48% 96% 57% 44% 12% 53% 24% 46% 40% 50% 28% 45%

Strongly Agree

28% 59% 38% 8% 51% 22% 38% 44% 32% 25% 61% 42% 44% 35%



Strongly Disagree

3% 2% 0% 0% 4% 0% 0% 0% 0% 5% 0% 4% 4% 5%

Strongly Agree

5% 11% 0% 50% 18% 4% 2% 19% 4% 4% 18% 8% 20% 11%



Strongly Disagree

32% 30% 44% 0% 37% 24% 6% 19% 14% 30% 44% 38% 28% 31%

Strongly Agree

43% 48% 64% 8% 51% 28% 16% 49% 30% 66% 54% 60% 54% 48%

Agree 52% 36% 28% 15% 27% 58% 38% 35% 58% 27% 12% 30% 14% 26% Neutral 2% 2% 8% 12% 8% 4% 20% 0% 2% 0% 5% 0% 0% 8%

On Elections Day I felt I was Disagree 2% 7% 0% 46% 4% 6% 26% 11% 4% 2% 14% 4% 8% 9%

36

able to vote for whoever I wanted to vote for

Strongly Disagree

0% 5% 0% 19% 10% 0% 0% 0% 0% 2% 12% 2% 12% 4%

Strongly Agree

25% 36% 44% 15% 59% 26% 48% 54% 24% 14% 61% 76% 50% 52%



Strongly Disagree

0% 2% 0% 4% 0% 0% 0% 0% 0% 5% 0% 0% 10% 1%

Strongly Agree

35% 48% 46% 8% 55% 20% 52% 39% 26% 18% 58% 82% 70% 48%



Strongly Disagree

0% 0% 0% 8% 2% 0% 0% 0% 0% 4% 0% 0% 4% 1%

Strongly Agree

40% 55% 74% 38% 65% 38% 84% 46% 14% 50% 63% 82% 64% 42%

Agree 55% 39% 14% 35% 24% 50% 10% 40% 84% 30% 23% 12% 10% 35%

The radio did enough Neutral 2% 2% 6% 8% 2% 4% 4% 2% 0% 9% 9% 2% 10% 8%

37

Disagree 2% 2% 4% 12% 2% 6% 2% 9% 0% 2% 4% 0% 6% 5% promotion and profiling of female candidates

Strongly Disagree

0% 0% 2% 8% 8% 0% 0% 2% 2% 5% 0% 0% 4% 7%

Documents

Introduction - WordPress.com€¦ · seem to be congruent with the efforts made for this election. National Elections Watch (NEW), a coalition of civil society organizations that