Liberia’s presidential election on October 10, 2023, has failed to produce a clear winner, necessitating a run-off between the two leading candidates. Incumbent President George Weah and former Vice President Joseph Boakai will go head to head in the second round, as none of the 19 presidential candidates achieved the required majority.
As reported by the National Elections Commission of Liberia (NEC Liberia), both Weah and Boakai garnered less than 50 percent of the vote, with Weah securing 43.8 percent and Boakai receiving 43.5 percent of the provisional results. To be declared the winner, a candidate must obtain 50 percent plus one vote, according to Liberian law.
This election marked the fourth general election in Liberia since the end of the civil war in 2003. With 2.4 million registered voters participating, the nation cast their ballots for 20 presidential candidates and 88 lawmakers competing for seats in the House of Representatives and the Senate.
Former Vice President Boakai served from 2006 to 2018 under Liberia’s first female president, Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, and lost the 2017 election to football legend George Weah, who won the run-off with 61.5 percent of the vote. Weah, 57, is seeking re-election under his Congress for Democratic Change (CDC) party for a second and final six-year term, while Boakai is running under the former ruling Unity Party, marking his second challenge to the incumbent.
Prior to the election, many political analysts had predicted a second round between Weah and Boakai. The voting process was characterized by high voter turnout, and both local and international election observers described it as peaceful.
As of now, over 98 percent of polling stations have been counted, and if a run-off is confirmed, it will be held on November 7.
