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The Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) embarks on the voter registration process for the 2024 general elections in Botswana. An estimated 2,880 polling stations across the nation and an additional 48 in foreign territories have swung their doors open to accommodate Batswana citizens living abroad.
The Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) embarks on the voter registration process for the 2024 general elections in Botswana. An estimated 2,880 polling stations across the nation and an additional 48 in foreign territories have swung their doors open to accommodate Batswana citizens living abroad. This voter registration was postponed twice in November this year after Botswana’s main opposition — the Umbrella for Democratic Change (UDC) — took the IEC to court seeking to be allowed to deploy registration observers across the country. Botswana will hold its next general elections in 2024 on the exact month and date yet to be announced.
The registration observers from the UDC were expected to record names, identity card numbers, and serial numbers of registration books of voters for the duration of the general voter registration period. The Botswana Court of Appeal, however, ruled against the decision, arguing that the deployment of observers is not provided in the country’s electoral act.
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President Mokgweetsi Masisi, via his social media platforms, urged citizens who are 18 years and older and possess a valid identity card, to participate in the registration process. His rallying cry wasn’t merely to register, but to do so peacefully, highlighting the importance of democratic decorum in this significant period.
