[7] Incumbent President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, in office since 2006, was constitutionally barred from running for a third term; the election was therefore to choose her successor.

[8] The European Union Electoral Observer Mission (EU EOM)'s preliminary statement, issued on 12 October 2017, acknowledged generally peaceful polling.

However, "The EU EOM has directly observed several instances of public officials engaged in campaigning that further hampered equality among contestants.

The mission has received claims about the uneven use of state resources and access to public spaces working to the advantage of the incumbent.

The mission's direct observation indicates a high level of monetization of the campaign, where a culture of in-kind and financial hand-outs to communities prevails.