The Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) has said it could not release the raw voter roll data until the Revising Courts complete their hearings and magistrates sign the relevant documents, amid growing demands for transparency ahead of the December 2026 presidential election.
The IEC chairman made the clarification during the commission’s monthly stakeholders’ engagement at the Sir Dawda Kairaba Jawara International Conference Centre in Bijilo on Thursday.
According to the IEC chairman, the commission must first receive directions from magistrates on which names should be retained on the register and which should be removed.
“From there, we’ll be able to expunge these names and then we’ll know exactly how many people are on the roll. So you cannot put the cart before the horse; things don’t work like that,” he said.
The chairman explained that releasing the raw data before the legal process is completed would be premature, as the final number of registered voters could only be established after the necessary revisions have been made.
He added that the data would be provided to all political parties once the process is completed, noting that magistrates are still handling cases before the Revising Courts.
During the engagement, the chairman also explained that the commission has procedures for providing voter information to political parties and other relevant participants in the electoral process.
He said political parties are entitled to receive the register and that the commission also provides the list to relevant entities participating in elections, particularly during the nomination process.
The chairman said the IEC was also working to address other important electoral issues, including arrangements for polling stations and the participation of political parties and their polling agents.
“We have a big task to make sure that this election is as inclusive as possible,” he said.
He urged stakeholders to pay attention to the practical challenges involved in preparing for the elections, adding that the commission was working to ensure the process accommodate the relevant participants.
The IEC maintains that the completion of the Revising Courts work is necessary before the raw voter roll data can be released.