Mariental: Voting in the Hardap Region began on Wednesday morning with residents arriving early at polling stations across the eight constituencies to take part in the Regional Councils and Local Authorities Elections.

According to Namibia Press Agency, in Mariental, several voters reported completing the voting process in under an hour. James McMaster, one of the first to arrive at his polling station, mentioned his intention to vote before heading to work. "I woke up early to cast my vote. The queue moved fast and I was done in less than an hour," he said.

Another local resident, Samuel van der Westhuizen, also voted early, accompanied by his wife, Audry. "We wanted to vote before the day gets busy. The process was fast and easy," he noted, with Audry adding, "It was not a hassle at all."

The Hardap Region, which comprises eight constituencies, has more than 55,000 registered voters. On Monday, regional electoral officer Willem Uirab confirmed that all election materials were in place, and polling teams had been trained and deployed. "The region is ready. All logistics are in place and the teams are prepared," he stated.

Police readiness was also assured, with acting regional police commander John Mwatongwe stating that officers had been deployed to all polling stations to maintain order and safety throughout the process. Polling stations opened at 07h00 and are scheduled to close at 21h00. According to election procedures, all voters still in line at closing time will be allowed to cast their ballots.

Voting continued steadily across Hardap throughout the morning as residents arrived in small groups to participate in the election to select their local representatives.