Khomasdal: After a strong early-morning turnout, voter numbers gradually declined across several Khomasdal Constituency polling stations in the Khomas Region on Wednesday, as temperatures rose, election officials have said.

According to Namibia Press Agency, presiding officers reported that hundreds of residents lined up before sunrise to cast their ballots in the Regional Council and Local Authorities Elections. However, polling stations later experienced a noticeable drop in activity.

At the El Dorado Secondary School polling station, presiding officer Linea Nambuli noted that more than 300 voters had been processed by midday, with some arriving as early as 05h00. She mentioned that while the process started smoothly, the pace had slowed, with people arriving individually. Nambuli expressed expectations for an increase in voters later in the afternoon.

Elvis Kahozu, an observer from the Landless People's Movement (LPM), observed that most voters earlier in the day were adults and pensioners. He attributed the decline in turnout to the rising temperatures but anticipated more voters in the evening.

Charmain !Uwu-//Khaes, presiding officer at Ella du Plessis Secondary School, reported processing around 400 voters by noon. She noted the busy morning and the shift to fewer numbers as the day progressed, suggesting that more people might arrive later due to the heat.

A similar trend was seen at Augustineum Secondary School, where presiding officer Marianna Nakatana described the process as efficient. Her station received around 300 voters by midday, and she expected more to come as the day continued.

Election officials across the constituency remain optimistic that voter numbers would increase later in the afternoon as temperatures cool and more residents head to the polls.