The Electoral Commission of Namibia (ECN) will hold its national special voting process for essential services providers and those aboard on November 13, 2024.

This will be done in accordance with the provisions of the Electoral Act No. 5 of 2014, Section 64, Sub-sections 2, 3, 4, and 5.

ECN spokesperson Mulauli Siluka told Nampa on Thursday that the special voting process will be held nationwide and is intended for those who are out of the country or working on 27 November 2024.

He added that those who are not working during the election process will have to wait until the general election day.

For the Ohangwena Region, a polling station will be set up at Eenhana; this is according to the Regional Electoral Officer of the Ohangwena Region, Henock Hanga.

According to Hanga, as the region does not have a harbour or a military base, this provision will only apply to Namibian police officers, who will be responsible for maintaining law and order during the elections, ensuring a safe and secure environment for all voters.

He explained that for this purpose, one polling venue has been designated in the region specifically to facilitate the participation of these officers.

“To ensure the success of the special voting initiative, we will conduct specialised training for officials involved in this process, and the training will take place here in Eenhana. This training will equip them with the necessary skills and knowledge to execute their duties effectively and uphold the integrity of the voting process,” he said.

Hanga added that following the special voting, mass training will be conducted for all election officials who will be on duty on 27 November. This comprehensive training will take place across six venues: Haimbili Haufiku Senior Secondary School; Eenhana Secondary School; Oshela Senior Secondary School; Mwadikange Kaulinge Senior Secondary School; Ponhofi Senior Secondary School; and Eengedjo Senior Secondary School from November 15 to 24, 2024.

He noted that the number of training clusters is necessitated by the large number of prospective officials to be trained, which will allow for efficient management of the training process and ensure that all officials are well-prepared to handle their responsibilities on election day.

Hanga stressed that this initiative aims to ensure transparency and build confidence in the electoral outcomes.