Staff Reporter
TODAY, the 19th of August, is the last day of the Supplementary Registration of Voters (SRV), and the Electoral Commission of Namibia (ECN) is urging all eligible voters who have not yet registered to do so before 19:00.
The ECN said that there will be no extension, nor will there be another SRV exercise during the current election cycle. Registration points are open from 08:00 to 19:00.
People required to register are those who:
- were unable to register during, or turned 18 after, the 2024 General Registration of Voters (GRV);
- have lost, misplaced, or damaged their voter card and need a duplicate;
- have changed their address and need to update their constituency;
- did not qualify to register for local authority elections during the GRV but now meet the eligibility requirements.
“It is essential for every eligible Namibian citizen to take part in the electoral process by registering to vote. Your participation is not only a right but also a responsibility that contributes to the democratic process of our nation,” said Peter Shaama, the ECN’s Chief Electoral and Referenda Officer, in a statement yesterday.
He emphasised that, to register, one must be a Namibian citizen, 18 years or older, and able to identify him/herself.
Since the start of the SRV earlier this month, there have been reports of at least two separate incidents of fraudulent registration.
In one incident at Casablanca in the Oshikoto Region, a 41-year-old suspect was arrested after registering as a voter using a stolen birth certificate. Two men who acted as witnesses were also arrested.
Another incident occurred in Walvis Bay, where the ID card of a Keetmanshoop-based ECN official was used by a foreigner not only to register as a voter but also to gain employment in Namibia.
Photo: Electoral Commission of Namibia – ECN
