Africa-Press – Namibia. A total of 1,499,449 Namibians are eligible to cast their ballots in the regional and local authority elections on 26 November 2025, the Electoral Commission of Namibia (ECN) announced yesterday.
The figure is based on the Final Voters’ Register (FVR), which the Commission released on 24 October 2025 in accordance with the 2025 Electoral Calendar.
“The Final Voters’ Register has been completed and will be used for both the special and main polling days,” said De Wet Siluka, deputy director for corporate communications.
“The final voter register was produced and released on 24 October as scheduled in the Electoral calendar, and contains 1,499,449 registered voters. This figure includes a total of 214 entries derived from the SRV provisional turnout,” said Siluka.
He explained that the FVR will facilitate both Special Voting, scheduled for 24 November 2025 for polling officials and police officers deployed outside their constituencies, and the main polling day on 26 November 2025 across 120 constituencies and 59 local authorities.
The Supplementary Registration of Voters (SRV) took place between 4 and 19 August 2025, during which more than 1.49 million voters were registered nationwide. This includes 752,043 voters registered for 59 local authorities.
Siluka said the Commission used the Automated Fingerprint Identification System (AFIS) to verify all data and eliminate duplicate entries.
“Each registered voter is represented only once in the system. This is done to uphold the integrity and credibility of the voters’ roll,” he said.
The Provisional Voters’ Register (PVR), released from 12 to 15 September 2025, initially recorded 1,499,235 registered voters, before being finalised at 1,499,449.
The ECN said Namibia has a total of 1,670,813 eligible voters, with 691,080 men and 808,419 women appearing on the final list. Out of the total, 643,117 are youth voters, while 22,245 are persons with disabilities.
Nominations
The nomination process for the upcoming elections began on 26 September and concluded on 16 October 2025. The ECN extended its public sitting on the final day to allow political parties and independent candidates to correct submission errors.
Following verification, the Commission confirmed that 120 out of 121 constituencies will be contested by political parties, associations, and independent candidates.
Only the Mankumpi Constituency in Kavango West will not be contested, while all 59 local authorities will see competition among different parties and organisations.
Siluka also confirmed that the Commission had to seek judicial intervention to correct an administrative error in the Nkurenkuru Constituency.
“After detecting an error in the declaration of a duly nominated candidate, the Commission approached the Electoral Court to rectify the matter,” he said.
He continued, “The Court granted our request, allowing us to correct the record and include the candidate whose nomination was received on time.”
With nominations completed, the ECN has moved into the operational phase of preparations for the elections.
According to the statement, the design and verification of sample ballot papers were conducted between 21 and 23 October, with representatives of political parties, associations, and independent candidates present to sign off on the final samples.
The printing and packing of ballot papers began on 24 October and are expected to conclude by 2 November 2025. The publication of the names of duly nominated candidates commenced on 27 October through the Government Gazette. Siluka added that the accreditation of election observers and media, which began on 30 September, will continue until 31 October.
He said the commission expects the ballot papers to arrive in the country by 3 November, after which sensitive election materials and equipment will be distributed between 7 and 17 November.
Training of polling officials is set for 7 to 15 November, while the issuance of duplicate voter registration cards will take place between 17 and 23 November.
Polling teams will be deployed from 23 to 25 November, ahead of Special Voting Day on 24 November and Polling Day on 26 November.
Voter Education
Currently, voter education campaigns are ongoing across the country and will continue until 25 November 2025 to ensure that every registered voter understands the process.
“We are urging all stakeholders, including political parties, civil society, and the media, to enhance their voter education efforts,” he said. “Our goal is for every registered Namibian to be ready and confident to cast their vote.”
Siluka said the Commission’s focus now shifts to ensuring smooth logistics ahead of Election Day.
“We are on track with all preparations,” Siluka said. “Our teams are working around the clock to guarantee that all materials, equipment, and personnel are in place before voting begins,” he added.
In its statement, the ECN reiterated its commitment to maintaining the highest standards of electoral integrity.
“The Commission remains resolute and committed to ensuring free, fair, transparent, and credible elections. We call upon all electoral stakeholders to play their part in fostering a democratic process and safeguarding the integrity of our elections,” read the statement.
The ECN expressed appreciation for the cooperation of political parties, observers, and voters as preparations intensify ahead of Namibia’s highly anticipated regional and local authority elections next month.
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