South Sudan's National Elections Commission Announces Voter Registration

South Sudan's National Elections Commission (NEC) has announced that voter registration will start on November 14, with 39 days remaining before the December 22 general elections. The exercise will cover 3,161 centres nationwide over 15 days. NEC Chairperson Gabriel Bol Deng made the announcement on Friday, stating that registration will run until November 28 across the country's 10 states and three administrative areas.

The NEC has recruited and trained 22,127 registration officials and appointed 204 constituency returning officers to oversee the exercise. Bol Deng said registration materials and equipment had been delivered to state capitals and administrative area headquarters but had yet to reach individual registration centres. Distribution is expected to be completed within two days. The commission has mapped out logistics to ensure a smooth registration process.

Eligible South Sudanese citizens are urged to register at their nearest centres, provide accurate personal information, and verify that their details have been correctly recorded. The commission warned against multiple registration, stating that eligible citizens will be required to present passports, national identity cards, or other acceptable evidence of identity and age. Traditional leaders, including paramount chiefs and community chiefs, will help identify people who lack formal identification documents.

The 204 constituency returning officers have been trained and deployed to their respective areas to train registration officials. The commission will publish information on the locations of registration centres on its website to help citizens identify where to register. Bol Deng defended the commission's preparations, citing the recruitment and training of personnel and the distribution of registration materials.

The chairperson said NEC would publish a preliminary voters' register after the 15-day exercise to establish the number of eligible voters ahead of candidate nominations. Presidential aspirants will be required to present at least 10,000 supporters from each state, whose registration details will be verified by the commission. The commission has consolidated the Elections Act and signed electoral regulations into law.

The NEC plans to train journalists on media accreditation and the electoral code of conduct. When asked about the funding and financing of the elections, Bol Deng expressed confidence that preparations and other electoral activities would be completed as planned, stating that the commission had the necessary infrastructure in place and had received the required support.

The December 22 elections are expected to be South Sudan's first general elections since independence in 2011. The commission's efforts aim to ensure a successful and transparent electoral process. Key to this process is the accurate registration of voters, which will determine the eligibility of citizens to participate in the elections.

Key points

• Voter registration will begin on November 14 and run for 15 days.
• The NEC has recruited 22,127 registration officials and appointed 204 constituency returning officers.
• Eligible citizens must present identification documents to register.