ECN sets up 129 special voting stations

A fresh breakdown of special voting stations for the next week's elections shows that northern Namibia and Windhoek will carry the heaviest early-voting load, with the majority of polling points concentrated in Khomas, Omusati, Oshana and Oshikoto.This year’s elections are being conducted with over 1.62 million registered voters, an increase from the 1.45 million on the roll during the 2024 general elections.The growth is most visible in Khomas and the northern regions, which continue to dominate the voter population landscape.Last year’s special voting turnout provides important context. In the 2024 general elections, special voting recorded 16 352 ballots cast, of which 14 203 were submitted inside Namibia and 2 147 by Namibians abroad at diplomatic missions.Although the 2024 special voting day was held earlier in November, this year’s process is expected to draw even higher participation due to the expanded voter roll and a larger number of eligible early voters, such as police officers, Electoral Commission of Namibia (ECN) officials and election duty staff.High numbersIn total, the ECN has ensure 129 special voting polling stations across the country.Khomas – the most populous region – has 11 designated special voting stations spread across the capital.Every primary constituency, from Katutura Central to Windhoek East and Khomasdal, will have its own venue operating from 09:00 to 19:00, reflecting the high number of urban voters expected to take part in early voting.In the north, where voter numbers traditionally peak, Omusati has the widest coverage of all regions, with 12 stations across Ruacana, Outapi, Okahao, Oshikuku and several rural centres.Oshana, another high-density region, follows with 10 stations, ensuring both the Ondangwa and Oshakati areas are fully catered for.Oshikoto also features prominently, offering 11 stations, including in Omuthiya, Oniipa, Onayena and Guinas.The region’s spread shows the ECN’s decision to prioritise both town and deep-rural voters ahead of special voting.Regions such as Erongo, Otjozondjupa, Zambezi, Hardap and //Kharas have moderate allocations, with between 7 and 11 stations each, depending on settlement patterns and population size.These include key mining and farming hubs as well as remote communities where voter access has historically been a concern.More sparsely populated regions, including Kunene, Kavango West and parts of Omaheke, have fewer sites, but each constituency will still have at least one designated special voting venue.This ensures nationwide coverage despite geographical challenges.All stations will open from 09:00 to 19:00, with sensitive materials transported under police escort and secured at regional police stations until deployment begins on 23 November.As was done in 2024, the ECN will also verify all sensitive materials upon arrival in each region, ensuring transparency and accountability before special voting begins.Windhoek and the northern regions will absorb the bulk of special voters, demonstrating where the ECN expects the highest early-turnout pressure ahead of the 26 November main polling day.Rectified ballot papersMeanwhile, the ECN has confirmed that all rectified ballot papers for the 2025 regional council and local authority elections arrived in the country on Tuesday morning, 18 November, following earlier discrepancies discovered during the verification process.The commission said the corrected ballot papers were delivered at Hosea Kutako International Airport and immediately transported under police escort to the ECN logistics store for verification, allocation and packing.Political parties, candidates and organisations witnessed the process, which began on Tuesday afternoon and was expected to be completed by the end of the day.The rectification follows discrepancies detected last week during verification and packing at the ECN Logistics Store.The errors affected some constituencies and local authorities in the Kavango West, Ohangwena, Khomas, Omusati, Oshikoto, Otjozondjupa, Kunene and Erongo regions. According to the commission, the mistakes involved incorrect quantities of ballot papers allocated to certain polling stations.With the corrected ballots now in the country, the ECN will proceed with the next phase of election logistics. The commission announced that dispatching all sensitive election materials to the remaining regions was set to begin yesterday.

ECN sets up 129 special voting stations

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Namibian Sun 2026-01-09

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ECN sets up 129 special voting stations

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Namibian Sun 2026-01-09

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