Voters still allowed to join queues hours after official closing time

The Electoral Commission of Namibia (ECN) has confirmed that voters are still being allowed to join queues at polling stations in the Erongo region, hours after the official cut-off time at 21h00.

This comes as a surprise to many, with social media abuzz about the extension.

Erongo ECN electoral officer Aune Ndakeva clarified the situation, stating that polling stations would remain open as long as queues persisted.

“In the beginning, everybody was enthusiastic and optimistic. There were a lot of people at all the stations. The turnout was impressive,” Ndakeva noted, adding that the large number of voters led to lengthy queues, which many found frustrating.

While most polling stations in Erongo opened on time, some experienced minor delays of about five minutes.

Ndakeva highlighted that technical challenges with verification devices caused a brief downtime of about 10 minutes, which led to frustration among voters.

“But other than that, it was fairly OK,” she remarked.

Mobile polling stations also faced logistical hurdles.

Ndakeva explained that delays occurred because mobile teams were overwhelmed by unexpected numbers of voters from outside their targeted areas.

“We planned to be at some venues for two hours, but we ended up staying for five hours because we couldn’t leave people in the queue unassisted,” she said.

While police officers were turning away voters who were not in queues by the official closing time, Ndakeva confirmed reports on social media that polling stations remain open, and new voters can still join queues late into the night.

“We are inviting everybody who is willing and able to cast their votes to come,” she said.

Despite the ECN’s efforts, many voters expressed dissatisfaction with the slow pace of the process.

Ndakeva acknowledged voters’ frustrations, but attributed them to specific polling stations with larger crowds.

“Some venues experienced smoother processes, while others were slower. This might give people a subjective feeling about how the day went,” she said.

When asked if the ECN could have prepared better, Ndakeva responded that the challenges stemmed from the overwhelming turnout.

“It’s not a matter of poor preparation, but the sheer numbers that came out. People might feel frustrated, but overall the process has been smooth at many stations,” she said.

With polling stations still operational and queues ongoing, it remains unclear when the voting process will conclude.

Ndakeva could not provide an approximate number of voters who had cast their ballots in the region.

She said the ECN is committed to ensuring every eligible voter gets the opportunity to participate.