By Stefanus Nashama

The Electoral Commission of Namibia (ECN) says it has assembled 2,894 teams to manage 4,861 polling points across all 121 constituencies and 59 local authorities, ahead of the regional and local authority elections scheduled for November this year.
ECN spokesperson De Wet Siluka said the commission is also in the process of recruiting and training over 21,000 polling officials to ensure a smooth and credible election process.

“ECN is actively engaged in preparations for the upcoming regional and local authorities’ councils’ elections as outlined in the 2025 Electoral Calendar, and it is on course with the execution of its activities,” Siluka said. He stated that the ECN would hire private vehicles to transport polling staff, materials, and equipment across the country.

Siluka further said the commission is also prepared to deploy helicopters and boats to access hard-to-reach areas, particularly in the Kunene and Zambezi regions. “We have secured helicopters and boats from the Ministry of Defence  and Veterans Affairs to ensure timely service delivery and effective logistics,” he said. He urged all registered voters to participate actively in the democratic process by casting their ballots. 

“This is your opportunity to elect leaders at the grassroots level,” he urged. Meanwhile, the ECN recently awarded the tender for the production, printing, and delivery of ballot papers to Uniprint Global, a South African company based in Durban, at a cost of N$4.9 million.

According to the commission, Uniprint Global will print 1,817,100 ballot papers for regional councils and 912,700 for local authorities, with printing set to begin on 22 October and conclude by 31 October 2025.  The ballot papers are expected to arrive at Hosea Kutako International Airport between 1 and 2 November 2025. The total budget allocated for ballot printing stands at N$8.9 million, according to ECN.

However, the decision to outsource printing to South Africa has sparked criticism from opposition political parties, who are demanding to observe the printing process to ensure transparency. In response, ECN said while political parties and stakeholders are welcome to observe the ballot printing, the commission will not cover their travel expenses, citing financial constraints.
The commission stressed that the observation of the ballot printing process is open to all registered parties, organisations, and associations, but they must do so at their own cost.

The 2025 Regional and Local Authority Elections are expected to test the ECN’s logistical readiness and the country’s confidence in its electoral process.