Monrovia, Liberia, March 12, 2026 – Diaspora organizations representing over 500,000 Liberians living abroad have formally petitioned the House of Representatives to grant citizens overseas the right to vote in national elections. The petition was submitted jointly by the All-Liberian Conference on Dual Citizenship (ALCOD) and the Union of Liberian Associations in the Americas (ULAA).
ALCOD—a coalition that includes the European Federation of Liberian Associations (EFLA), Conference of Liberian Organizations in the Southwestern United States (COLOSUS), Liberians Advocacy for Change (LAFC), United Liberian Association in Ghana (ULAG), and the Federation of Liberian Communities in Australia (FOLICA)—emphasized that the majority of Liberians abroad wish to actively participate in their homeland’s democratic process.
In their petition, the diaspora groups asserted that Liberians living outside the country retain their citizenship and are entitled to full constitutional rights. They urged the House to draft legislation enabling citizens abroad to cast ballots at Liberian embassies or other designated locations established by the National Elections Commission (NEC).
“Once a Liberian, always a Liberian,” the petition declared, underscoring the enduring connection between diaspora Liberians and their home country.
A similar petition has already been submitted to the Senate through Senator Abraham Darius Dillon, Chairman of the Senate Diaspora Caucus. Officials from the Diaspora Affairs Office at the Ministry of State for Presidential Affairs—including Coordinator Erasmus T. Williams, Emmanuel B. Kollie, and Eugene Herring—attended meetings with both the House and Senate.
The petition comes amid decades of advocacy for diaspora voting, fueled by Liberia’s history of political instability, including the 1980 military coup that overthrew President William R. Tolbert and the 14-year civil war (1989–2003). These events forced hundreds of thousands of Liberians to seek refuge abroad, forming communities across the Americas, Europe, Africa, and Australia.
Advocates argue that allowing Liberians overseas to vote aligns with democratic norms and ensures all citizens, regardless of residence, can help shape their country’s governance. Beyond enfranchisement, diaspora participation is seen as a way to boost civic engagement, attract investment, strengthen ties between Liberia and its global citizenry, and help heal divisions stemming from the civil war.
This move represents a significant step toward inclusive electoral reforms that recognize the political voice of Liberians living abroad, potentially reshaping Liberia’s democracy for generations to come.
