ECN to recruit firm to sensitize public on importance of voting

■ By Kaipaherue Kandjii

The Electoral Commission of Namibia (ECN) is planning to award a tender to a consultant to initiate a campaign to sensitize the public to the importance of voting.

The electoral authority says it is still haunted by a historical and proverbial issue of voter apathy, mainly due to negative stereotypes and publicity, which it admitted it still struggles to shrug off. The campaign is estimated to cost taxpayers N$ 2,5 million for an unspecified duration before the 2024 November polls.

“As we commence the scheduled national elections this year, the Commission will intensify civic education, including a robust Voter Education Programme, to ensure that the electorate and eligible voters are well informed and educated.

“A comprehensive voter education programme will also be launched with the Electoral Calendar providing detailed information on requirements to register as a voter, registration dates, registration points during the General Registration of Voters (GRV) and all information regarding the polling process,” said De Wet Siluka, manager of corporate communications at the ECN in an interview with Confidente on Wednesday. Siluka said the low turnout of voters at their polling stations during elections had been a cause of concern.

A case in point is the 2019 electoral cycle, during which the ECN only managed to attract 800 000 voters to cast ballots, despite spending taxpayers’ money to register 1.4 million would-be voters who did not cast any ballots.

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