Niël Terblanché
The Electoral Commission of Namibia (ECN) has identified 13 685 duplicate entries following the completion of the 2024 General Registration of Voters (GRV).
This was revealed by the ECN chairperson, Elsie Nghikembua, on Thursday when she released the Provisional Voters’ Register and Preliminary Statistics following the completion of the GRV.
“As a result, the final provisional statistics now reflect a total of 1 451 444 registered voters, accounting for 90% of the expected voter registration,” she said.
Nghikembua said the duplication represented a 0.93% decrease in the total preliminary statistics.
The fourth GRV was conducted between 3 June and 1 August 2024, both within Namibia and at all 35 Namibian diplomatic missions abroad.
She said that after completing the GRV, the ECN shifted focus to reviewing the electoral data and compiling the provisional voters’ register.
“This process included running the Automated Fingerprint Identification System to compare all 10 fingerprints of each voter captured on the system, aiming to detect any possible multiple entries,” she said.
According to Nghikembua, this critical step is part of the commission’s efforts to maintain the integrity and credibility of the voters’ register.
Nghikembua also announced that the provisional voters’ register, which was produced following the verification exercise, will be displayed for public objections from 29 August to 4 September 2024, in all 121 constituencies across the country.
“This is in accordance with the provisions of Electoral Act No. 5 of 2014, as amended,” she said.
The released preliminary statistics include detailed breakdowns by national generational cohorts, gender, youth turnout, and participation of people with disabilities.
She said a regional breakdown of the duplicates recorded during the registration process has also been provided.
As the electoral calendar progresses, significant statutory activities leading up to polling day include the display of the provisional voters’ register for scrutiny, the handling of objections by the Electoral Tribunal, the production and release of the final voters’ register on 30 September 2024, and the candidate nomination period scheduled between 26 September and 16 October 2024.
Nghikembua said that in preparation for the upcoming elections, the ECN will also present the voter verification module, which will be used to identify and verify voters on polling day.
“To ensure readiness, the commission will conduct a mock verification exercise in randomly selected constituencies and localities on 30 to 31 August 2024,” she said.
Nghikembua urged all stakeholders to participate in the mock verification exercise and to employ effective voter education efforts to ensure a high voter turnout on 27 November 2024, when the elections are set to commence.
She stressed that the right to vote is a fundamental right that must be upheld and protected by all.
