Niël Terblanché
The Electoral Commission of Namibia (ECN) has announced that it has registered a total of 1 467 604 eligible voters within the borders of Namibia and at diplomatic missions abroad.
According to Peter Shaama, the ECN’s Chief Electoral and Referenda Officer, this number was reached at the successful conclusion of the fourth General Registration of Voters (GRV) on 1 August.
Shaama reported that during the final four days of the registration period, from 29 July to 1 August, 152 472 eligible voters were registered.
“This figure represents an average of 38 002 registered voters per day during that week, marking the highest turnout recorded to date compared to the overall weekly turnout since the commencement of GRV,” he said in a statement released on Friday.
He said this effort brings the overall cumulative number of eligible Namibians registered as voters, both within the country and at Namibian Diplomatic Missions abroad, to 1 467 604.
“This represents a turnout of 91% of eligible voters for the GRV,” he added.
Shaama said that the detailed breakdown of registered voters per region, as well as per constituency, in all 14 regions from 3 June to 1, 2024, is evidence of the extensive reach and effectiveness of the registration campaign.
“The Commission extends its deepest gratitude to all registered voters and electoral stakeholders who have demonstrated unwavering support towards ensuring effective voter education campaigns since the commencement of the GRV until its conclusion,” he said.
According to Shaama, stakeholders’ collective efforts in supporting and improving the ECN’s communication drive and strategy to register eligible voters have been invaluable to the GRV.
He said that the ECN will now begin demobilising the registration teams, both locally and internationally, and return all registration materials and equipment to the commission’s headquarters as prescribed in the 2024 Electoral Calendar.
“This process will be followed by the uploading of registration data to the ECN’s central server and the commencement of the Automatic Fingerprint Identification System (AFIS) process, data segregation, and the production of the Provisional Voters Register (PVR),” he said.
According to Shaama, the PVR is set to be published in the Government Gazette on 29 August 2024 and will be available for inspection and objections at designated locations, which will be announced at a later stage within the timelines set in the Electoral Calendar.
He said the successful registration drive stresses Namibia’s commitment to strengthening its democratic processes and ensuring broad-based participation in the upcoming November elections.
Shaama added that the ECN’s careful planning and the collaborative efforts of all involved stakeholders have set a robust foundation for a transparent and inclusive electoral process.
