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Message: [QUOTE="Munyaradzi Mafaro, post: 46492, member: 636"] Namibian election officials worry about falling voter participation rates across the country. The Electoral Commission revealed turnout numbers have fallen sharply since 1992. That year saw 81.1 percent of voters cast ballots in the first democratic elections. Recent regional elections attracted just 38.3 percent of registered voters in 2020. Local authority elections saw similar declines from 82 percent to 43.2 percent during the same period. Commissioner Pius Iikwambi announced the 2025 election schedule during a public event yesterday. Special voting takes place November 24 with general elections following November 26. Voter registration opens August 4 and closes August 19 for citizens wanting to participate. Political parties can nominate candidates starting September 26. The commission hopes these dates give people enough time to prepare. Recent special elections showed troubling voter absence across multiple towns. Otjiwarongo recorded just 17.7 percent turnout during recent voting. Grootfontein managed only 23.1 percent participation from eligible residents. Sesfontein performed better with 62 percent of voters showing up. Other areas like Kabbe South and Kamanjab saw moderate turnout around 44 percent. National Council Chairman Lukas Muha stressed the importance of democratic participation. He believes low voter interest threatens the strength of local government. Opposition leader Sem Billy criticized election education efforts as insufficient. The Electoral Commission plans new voter awareness campaigns before November. Officials want every eligible citizen to understand their democratic rights and responsibilities. [/QUOTE]

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