The Electoral Commission of Namibia (ECN) has earmarked N$269 million towards facilitating this year’s November elections.
The allocation is aimed at ensuring the participation of voters in the electoral process.
According to Speaker of the National Assembly Professor Peter Katjavivi, ECN will prioritise the General Registration of Voters (GRV) and the 2024 Presidential and National Assembly elections.
He further explained that N$3.5 million has been set aside for any by-elections that may arise during this period.
“Furthermore, the ECN must also make contingency provisions for any by-elections that could occur at any time during the 2024-2025 Financial Fear. Therefore, a portion of the budget is set aside to cover costs related to any by-election that may occur,” Katjavivi said.
He also said that ECN plans to procure additional Mobile Voters Registration Kits (MVRKs) for N$21 million and a further N$83 million will cover expenses related to office materials, election materials, and other necessary services, including venue rentals.
The commission anticipates recruiting, training, and deploying approximately 16,000 election officials, costing N$160 million.
Notably, the training period for Supervisors of Registration/Returning Officers, Registration Officers, and Polling Officers has been extended from one to two weeks to ensure thorough preparation.
Additionally, a total of N$47 million has been allocated towards raising awareness among eligible individuals about the significance of participating in elections through the provision of timely, accurate, accessible information that will ensure that all eligible citizens register and vote.
“Various channels of communication will be used, taking into consideration the communication needs of each target audience. To ensure inclusivity and access to information for all, information materials will be reproduced in accessible formats for persons with disabilities such as Braille, Audio and sign language.”
The Commission has also introduced the Lead Youth Ambassador to spearhead the awareness campaign and will employ around 200 Youth Ambassadors across the country.
