The Electoral Commission of Namibia has dismissed claims that election officials contracted for the 2025 Regional and Local Authority Elections were underpaid.

 In a statement issued, the elections regulator said all payments were processed in line with signed contracts and verified attendance records.

 The Commission confirmed it received inquiries and complaints from election officials who worked during the November 2025 polls, alleging that their allowances were not fully paid.

 However, the ECN maintained that the more than 18,000 officials contracted over the period had signed employment agreements that clearly outlined their payment terms.

 According to the Commission, the officials' contracts covered the period from 23 to 29 November 2025.

 In terms of actual pay, they were entitled to a fixed rate on the actual days they worked, calculated from deployment to demobilisation.

 Their contracts made no mention of additional allowances payable, unless an extension of duty was approved in writing by the Chief Electoral and Referenda Officer.

 Payment processing began on 1 December 2025, following submission of attendance registers from across the country.

 Payments were authorised following verification of these registers.

The final payments were effected during the week of 8 December and were completed by the week of 22 December.

All payments, the ECN maintained, were made within a minimum of 30 days and a maximum of 60 days after completion of duties.

Payment rates were fixed at a training allowance of N$250, a daily rate of N$563, and N$824 per day on polling days.

Polling officials were paid N$476 per day and N$710 on polling or counting days.

 The Commission said it received sufficient funding to conduct the elections, including for the payment of all election officials.

The ECN urged any election official with verifiable evidence of payment discrepancies to submit their concerns to its Human Resources Division through the ECN's regional offices.