The Chairperson of the Electoral Commission of Namibia has cautioned election officials to maintain integrity in the voter registration process and to avoid actions that could raise doubts about the credibility of the upcoming elections.

Dr. Elsie Nghikembua made this plea during the closing of a 14-day training program for election officials in Otjiwarongo, in preparation for the national elections in November.

The 156 officials have been trained in various roles and responsibilities related to managing and overseeing all processes according to the Electoral Act.

The Electoral Commission of Namibia is in full swing with preparations for the General Registration of Voters and has commenced with a mock voters' registration exercise in the |Khomas Region.

Namibia will be heading to the polls in November this year for the presidential and National Assembly elections.

This is the second mock voter's registration undertaken by the electoral body.

In November last year, ECN covered five regions, to test the new technology it intends to use to register voters for the November polls.

Members of the National Council have called on the Electoral Commission of Namibia to implement a permanent voter card system. 

This proposal, aimed at streamlining the electoral process, seeks to boost efficiency and minimise administrative burdens.

Additionally, the council members expressed concerns regarding the time gap between the announcement of election results and the official assumption of office. 

These issues were raised during discussions on Section 25 of the Electoral Amendment Bill.

Namibians will be heading to the polls next year, where each ballot cast will decide who the next president and National Assembly members will be.

It is for this reason that the Electoral Commission of Namibia will conduct a mock voter registration with an enhanced mobile system from November 15 to 17.

After reviewing the 2019 and 2020 Presidential and National Assembly Elections, the Commission upgraded its mobile voter registration system to the integrated mobile voter registration system.

The Namibia Statistics Agency (NSA) and the Electoral Commission of Namibia (ECN) have signed a memorandum of understanding to work together in preparing accurate voter lists and ensuring that the logistics of conducting elections smoothly are in place.

The MOU will enable ECN to know how many eligible voters there are in each constituency from the NSA census data collection. The two institutions will work together to develop ICT systems such as e-recruitment and information dissemination and cooperate in the provision of transport for field work.

The Electoral Commission of Namibia (ECN) refuted claims made in a local newspaper on Thursday, which suggested that the commission turned down an application from the Affirmative Repositioning Movement (AR) to become an official political party.

According to ECN's Chief Electoral and Referenda Officer, Theo Mujoro, the article is misleading and lacks accuracy. Mujoro clarified that AR's application, submitted on June 23 of this year, is currently undergoing a review to ensure compliance with specific requirements.

The independence of the Electoral Commission of Namibia, the increasing regional presence, and responsive ICT management in the electoral processes are among the priorities of the four shortlisted candidates for the position of Chief Electoral and Referenda Officer.

The shortlisted candidates, drawn from Namibia's legal and academic fields, all underwent psychometric testing before the public interview process.

Each of the candidates outlined their vision for the electoral body based on the different topics given to them by ECN Commissioners.

The Electoral Commission of Namibia's Head Office on Van Rhijn Street in the capital will be a hive of activity tomorrow as five shortlisted candidates will be publicly interviewed for the position of Chief Electoral and Referenda Officer.

This is the second time in ECN history that public interviews will take place for this position. The first was in 2018, when now-outgoing Theo Mujoro, whose term ends in August, was selected.

The Electoral Commission of Namibia (ECN) has confirmed the shortlisting of five candidates for the position of Chief Electoral and Referenda Officer.

The Commission's Manager for Corporate Communications and Marketing, Siluka De Wet, announced the ECN received 12 applications.

The ECN had strongly encouraged women to apply, but according to De Wet, only one applicant was a woman who did not meet the requirements.

Vincent Saztia, Petrus Shaama, Helmuth !Naweseb, Oscar Muyatwa, and Michael Tjivikua will undergo interviews on Friday, June 30.

Political parties contesting the upcoming Keetmanshoop Rural Constituency by-election have expressed dissatisfaction after the Electoral Commission of Namibia (ECN) issued a media statement announcing the issuance of duplicate voter cards for residents on the eve of the elections.

In a media statement, ECN announced that the issuance of duplicate voter cards to registered voters is in accordance with Section 35 of Electoral Act No. 5 of 2014.