Sierra Leone elections: Voting don don...

Instructions seen around town

It's 5:30 pm. Voting stations have closed. As far as I can tell it's peaceful outside, at least in Wilberforce. I have not had phone calls, emails or text messages telling me otherwise. Lumley calmed down and my friend voted by about 10:00 am. I even snuck out of the house with a colleague and walked up and down our road - first to the village where the voting stations are and then down to the roundabout 'Bottom Mango'. 

The village was interesting. There were about 50 people gathered around the big tree chatting. There were some vendors selling cucumbers, fruit, fish and groundnuts. And then there were a couple of voting stations with about 30 people waiting in line to vote. It looked orderly and there was a good atmosphere. I saw one of the guys I know from our area and he said hi. He showed me his dyed finger, proving that he voted, as well as his 'clipped' voters ID card. Everyone was given 4 ballots: one for presidential, one for parliamentary, one for local council chair/mayor and one for local council councillor. The voters told me it was pretty straight forward. There were a couple of police officers around and now and then a vehicle would drive up with 'national observers' in them. What was remarkable was that no one was wearing the colors of the two main political parties - there was no red or green in sight! Going down towards Bottom mango we were surprised at how quiet it was. I have never seen the roundabout and streets surrounding it so empty. It looked like a ghost town.

Now the voting is over, it's time to wait for the results to trickle out and then the final results to be announced officially, which can take up to 10 days. Keep praying for peace.