FAQ
Most frequent questions and answers
Click the link below to view frequently asked questions about Namibia Votes 2024: Presidential and National Assembly Elections.
According to Section 39(1)(a) the principal object of a political party should be to participate in and promote elections including-
- The nomination of persons as candidates for any such elections in accordance with the provisions of the Act;
- The canvassing for votes for a candidate at any such elections;
- The devotion of any of its funds or any part thereof to the election expenses of any candidate or the funds of any other political party taking part in any such elections
- No object of a political party should be prejudicial to the safety of the State, the public welfare or the peace and good order;
- Membership of a political party should not be excluded or restricted on the grounds of sex, race, colour, ethnic origin, religion, creed or social or economic status;
Furthermore, the application must be accompanied by:
- Proof of payment of the amount of N$ 10 000 for registration;
- The party’s constitution; and
- A declaration signed by at least 500 members of the political party whose names appear on the national voters’ register to the effect that these voters support the registration of the political party.
Section 39(3), which prescribes the information the application form should contain, is contained in form Elect 3, attached hereto.
According to Section 39(4) the declaration signed by at least 500 members of the political party shall contain the following:
(a) the full names and voters’ registration numbers of the persons who have signed the declaration; and
(b) the names or numbers, as the case may be, of the regions and constituencies in respect of which such signatories are registered.
Click here to download registration form
How do I register?
To vote in any of the elections, you have to be a registered voter. You can register in your respective local authority and constituency and you only have to regsiter once as a voter.
Who can register?
You must:
- be a Namibian citizen
- be 18 years old or above and
To register as a voter you need proof of Identity, Age and Namibian Citizenship by producing one of the following documents:
- your valid green passport or New Namibian ID, or Old Namibian ID
or one of the following combinations
- Citizenship Certificate and Old Namibian ID (if you were born outside Nambia)
- Namibian Birth Certificate and New Namibian Driver’s Licence
- Namibian Birth Certificate and two registered deponents
- Proof of Residency
Remember:
To register to vote in any local authority council election, take along your Telecom or Municipal/Town/Village electricity and water bills to prove that you have lived in that area for 12 consecutive months. Alternatively bring along one person who is a registered voter in that particular local authority area to make a statement under oath that he/she knows that you have lived there for 12 consecutive months.
What is Biometrics?
Biometrics (or biometric authentication) refers to the identification of humans by their characteristics or traits. Biometrics is used in computer science as a form of identification and access control. What is the VRK? The Voter Registration Kit (VRK) is the computerized unit that captures the voter data. It comprises a computer (laptop), a fingerprint scanner, signature pad and camera. In addition, the mobile voter registration kit (MVRK) has a printer component that allows voter cards to be printed at the registration point.
What data is captured by the VRKs?
The biometrics system developed by the ECN takes the personal identification information of a voter (for example name, surname, address, region, etc.) and combines it with the unique biological fingerprint of the voter.
How is the data used?
The data is uploaded to a central computer system (server) and then the fingerprints of each voter are compared to every other fingerprint on the system. The server will identify duplicate ID numbers as well as duplicate fingerprints. These identified duplicates are then sent for manual verification by a senior ECN staff member for further action.
The data is then stored on a voters roll which includes the particulars of a voter together with the picture as captured on the system.
What information is on the card?
The voter card contains the basic personal information such as name, surname and address as well as information regarding the type of elections the voters qualifies for such as National, Presidential, Regional or Local Authority elections.
How is the card used during voting?
During voting, the voter’s card can be used in two ways to verify the voter:
- Manual recognition (and verification on the voters roll) of the voter from the card through their picture and other details;
- Electronic recognition through a device which has a full copy of the voters roll. This verification device allows the card to be scanned and verified against the voters roll, as well as allowing voter confirmation through the comparison of the fingerprint after the voter’s card is scanned.
What happens if a card is lost?
The ECN will have a supplementary registration during which voters can also apply for a duplicate voter’s card. A process for continuous registration will also be introduced which will allow voters to apply for duplicates at designated regional centres.
