148 000 eligible voters fail to register
Diversify voter registration process, analysts advise
Analysts suggest a simpler voter registration system should be deployed that taps into modern technologies and existing databases.
About 148 706 Namibians who are eligible to vote during the 27 November national polls have failed to register during the just-ended general registration of voters (GRV) process.
This year’s GRV exercise saw the Electoral Commission of Namibia (ECN) register 91% of the eligible voting population during the 52-day registration period.
This figure is slightly lower than the 93% of voters who registered during the 2014 GRV period, which took place over a period of 42 days.
While the ECN has been lauded for carrying out its mandate of encouraging eligible citizens to vote, and despite the high voter registration turnout, analysts cautioned that there is a need to dig deeper to find out why almost 10% of the eligible voting population did not register.
Find solutions
Reasons for the failure to register included a lack of documentation, no proof of residence and uncertified documents. Others bluntly chose not to register.
“We should not ignore the people who failed to register. We need to find out why people decided not to register so that we can devise solutions to those factors,” political analyst Ndumba Kamwanyah said yesterday.
He added: “Some might have opted not to register because they are tired as a result of unfulfilled promises linked to the upliftment of their socio-economic conditions.”
Modern tech at hand
Some analysts have criticised the ECN for making the registration process cumbersome by not harnessing the potential of technology and for failing to tap into existing national databases, such as those of the home affairs ministry.
Kamwanyah called on the commission to diversify the registration process in order to lure more Namibians to register to vote.
“They predominantly used a process that targeted urban voters. They [ECN] need to simplify the process. Why do we need voter cards if we have national documents that are used to verify these voter cards? Other countries use national documents for voting purposes, so I do not know what the fear is," he said.
"In this day and age of technology, we must find a way to register and vote online,” Kamwanyah advised.
Continue the work
"But we also have to look at the positives," he said, adding that the number of registered voters shows a genuine desire for democracy and an eagerness to vote.
“ECN is not out of the woods yet; the difficult task is now to make sure that all registered voters cast their votes on election day. The commission must continue with consultations and voter education activities,” he said.
This year’s GRV exercise saw the Electoral Commission of Namibia (ECN) register 91% of the eligible voting population during the 52-day registration period.
This figure is slightly lower than the 93% of voters who registered during the 2014 GRV period, which took place over a period of 42 days.
While the ECN has been lauded for carrying out its mandate of encouraging eligible citizens to vote, and despite the high voter registration turnout, analysts cautioned that there is a need to dig deeper to find out why almost 10% of the eligible voting population did not register.
Find solutions
Reasons for the failure to register included a lack of documentation, no proof of residence and uncertified documents. Others bluntly chose not to register.
“We should not ignore the people who failed to register. We need to find out why people decided not to register so that we can devise solutions to those factors,” political analyst Ndumba Kamwanyah said yesterday.
He added: “Some might have opted not to register because they are tired as a result of unfulfilled promises linked to the upliftment of their socio-economic conditions.”
Modern tech at hand
Some analysts have criticised the ECN for making the registration process cumbersome by not harnessing the potential of technology and for failing to tap into existing national databases, such as those of the home affairs ministry.
Kamwanyah called on the commission to diversify the registration process in order to lure more Namibians to register to vote.
“They predominantly used a process that targeted urban voters. They [ECN] need to simplify the process. Why do we need voter cards if we have national documents that are used to verify these voter cards? Other countries use national documents for voting purposes, so I do not know what the fear is," he said.
"In this day and age of technology, we must find a way to register and vote online,” Kamwanyah advised.
Continue the work
"But we also have to look at the positives," he said, adding that the number of registered voters shows a genuine desire for democracy and an eagerness to vote.
“ECN is not out of the woods yet; the difficult task is now to make sure that all registered voters cast their votes on election day. The commission must continue with consultations and voter education activities,” he said.
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