Close to 300,000 register

The Electoral Commission of Namibia (ECN) has been able to register 290,600 voters through this year’s Supplementary Voter Registration compared to only 82,321 who registered in the 2004 Supplementary Voter Registration. This represents a 253% increase. In the Khomas region, the number of people registered went up by a phenomenal 915%. These figures do not include Namibian citizens living abroad, who have yet to be added.
The ECN attributed the improvement to hard work and the resources that were invested in both Voter Education campaign and Supplementary Voter Registration. Part of the success was also attributed to the improved partnership between the ECN, media institutions, government, civic organizations and political parties that supported voter education campaigns or in some cases conducted their own education programmes to motivate people to register.
The ECN said the figures clearly testified to an increased interest and enthusiasm in this year’s elections. The table below provides the figures broken down according to regions.

REGION 2009
Caprivi 12,574
Erongo 18,257
Hardap 8,794
Karas 13,101
Kavango 23,971
Khomas 52,078
Kunene 15,764
Ohangwena 31,643
Omaheke 13,326
Omusati 32,657
Oshana 28,255
Oshikoto 23,642
Otjozondjupa 16,538
GRAND TOTAL 290,600

The data also reveals that the Khomas Region ranks the highest with a total of 52,078 followed by Omusati with 32,657 and Ohangwena with a total of 31,643 in the number of voters generated through the recently concluded Supplementary Voter Registration.
In 2004, a total of 978,036 Namibians were registered to vote. Preliminary figures indicate that more than 1,300,500 Namibians may be eligible to vote in this year’s Presidential and General Assembly Elections.
The ECN did not say how many of the 300,000 were new voters and how many were voters who had sought replacement cards.