Cameroon’s Electoral Roll Finalized: 7.8 Million Eligible Voters
As 2024 draws too a close, Cameroon’s electoral commission has finalized its voter registry, revealing a total of 7,845,622 eligible voters. This figure comprises 4,207,957 men and 3,637,665 women, a number significantly higher than the previously announced 7.5 million, which had sparked considerable controversy.
The initial registration period, concluding August 31st, yielded a preliminary count of 8,116,960 registered voters. This represented a net increase of 8,830 new voters in 2024, with 443,270 men and 311,815 women added to the rolls. However, a subsequent process of data cleansing—removing deceased individuals, those with criminal convictions, and duplicate entries—resulted in the final, lower figure.
The October 20th release of the final voter list ignited a firestorm of protest. The controversy centered on the exclusion of hundreds of thousands of voters due to fingerprint registration issues with Elecam’s (Elections Cameroon) machines. The Movement for the Recovery of Cameroon (MRC),a prominent opposition group,leveled accusations of electoral fraud,claiming that as many as 120,000 voters were deliberately disenfranchised. “Elecam has prepared a fraud by excluding 120,000 voters,” the MRC alleged.
In response to the outcry, Elecam has reinstated voters previously excluded due to technical malfunctions with their fingerprint scanners. The final voter count reflects this adjustment, offering a clearer picture of the electorate ahead of any future elections.
The situation in Cameroon highlights the challenges of maintaining accurate and accessible voter registration systems, a concern shared by many democracies worldwide. The complexities of technological implementation and the potential for disputes underscore the importance of transparent and accountable electoral processes.
