KEETMANSHOOP - Over 500 eligible voters who participated in the supplementary registration of voters in the //Kharas region on Monday were young people.
 This is according to the Electoral Commission of Namibia (ECN) regional coordinator Augustinus Ucham who also said a total of 535 eligible voters registered to participate in the upcoming regional council and local authority elections during the first day of voter registration this week.
 The supplementary registration of voters will continue until 15 September.  

“The process started on a slow pace in the morning, but by closure of day one, there was a big improvement,’’ the regional coordinator explained. 
Ucham added apart from minor technical problems experienced when venues opened, all registration points were functional by 07h30. 
He also said the Electoral Act has been amended recently to qualify those voters not owning any property to cast their votes for this year’s elections on 27 November 2020. 

“Those renting accommodation, staying at government accommodation facilities or staying on a landlord’s erven can now by means of a sworn statement (DE1) indicating 12 months consecutive residence in a local authority area qualify to vote for these elections,” Ucham emphasised. 
He added that this is to comply with the ECN requirement that for a voter to qualify to be registered, he or she must prove permanent residence in a local authority area for a consecutive period of 12 months by means of submitting water, electricity or telephone bills in his or her name for that period. 
“As opposed to the past when a voter can claim that it was two deponents knowing him that made such a sworn statement if it can be proved that it was done falsely, this time around he or she should, by making the statement personally, answer in a court of law in the event of providing false information,” he said. 
The regional coordinator also commended ECN’s voter education officers for a job well done. 

It has become evident on day one that voters know the registration processes and also brought along all documents required in order to register.” 
Ucham called on the eligible voters to register in order to enable them to participate in the upcoming elections. 
Thirty teams were deployed in the region in various constituencies and nine local authorities. 
- sklukowski@nepc.com.na