Gambiaj.com – (KANIFING, The Gambia) – The Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) has begun engaging local authorities across the country ahead of the start of the 2026 Supplementary Voter Registration exercise, in a move aimed at building public awareness, strengthening institutional support, and boosting confidence in the electoral process.
At the regional level in Kanifing Municipality, IEC Vice Chairman and Principal Registration Officer Cherno Jallow, acting in his capacity as Returning Officer, met local decision-makers on Tuesday to brief them on the registration exercise, which is scheduled to run from April 8 to May 21.
Those present included the coordinating executive, Kanifing Mayor Talib Bensouda, and most of the municipality’s 16 alkalolu, with only a few absent.
The regional Executive told the meeting that the consultation was meant to ensure that local authorities clearly understand the objectives, procedures, and significance of the supplementary registration process before its launch. He said such engagement is essential to securing collaboration from administrative and community leaders whose support is needed for the exercise to run smoothly.
The official stressed that institutional cooperation and participatory engagement are key to shaping public perceptions of the electoral process and strengthening trust in election outcomes. He noted that this is why the IEC routinely consults public, administrative, and local authorities before, during, and after major electoral activities.
Explaining the purpose of the meeting, Cherno Jallow said the Commission wanted all stakeholders to operate with the same level of information and to use the forum to clarify any uncertainties before registration begins.
“The idea to have this presentation is to make sure that we are at the same level of information,” Jallow said. “This is primarily geared towards fostering an inclusive and participatory process.”
He said the IEC’s intention was to “carry all of you along,” describing the exercise as a national process that belongs to Gambians, while the commission only serves as its manager.
“This is your process. It is not our process. We are just shepherding the process,” he said, adding that the goal is to foster “credibility and confidence” around the registration exercise.
Jallow explained that Supplementary Voter Registration is intended to issue voters’ cards to qualified Gambians who were not registered during the 2021 General Voter Registration, enabling them to take part in upcoming elections.
The IEC also used the meeting to outline how the exercise will be conducted. In Kanifing Municipality, 19 registration teams will be deployed across eight registration centres to handle the process. Similar preparatory meetings are being held in the country’s other electoral regions, where returning officers are also engaging local authorities ahead of the launch.
IEC Chairman Joseph Colley was, at the same time, leading a similar engagement in Kerewan on behalf of the area’s returning officer, who is currently out of the country. Comparable consultations are also being conducted in Basse, Janjanbureh, Wassu, Brikama, Yaramamba and Banjul, among other areas.
Speaking at the Kanifing meeting, Mayor Talib Bensouda said the IEC’s work remains central to the functioning of democracy, even if public reaction to its role often depends on electoral outcomes.
He recalled that in the 2021 elections, some political actors criticized the Commission when results did not favor them but praised it when they later secured victories in local government and legislative elections.
Bensouda said acting as an electoral referee is never easy and urged all leaders and institutions to support the IEC in carrying out its mandate.
He also underscored the need for broad and inclusive outreach so that eligible voters who missed the 2021 registration can take advantage of the supplementary exercise and participate in future polls.
While he said the burden of ensuring credibility and integrity ultimately rests with the IEC, he added that local leaders and decision-makers also have a responsibility to help create the conditions for a credible process and public confidence in the eventual outcome.
The consultation meetings now underway across the country are expected to serve as the groundwork for the Supplementary Voter Registration exercise, with the IEC seeking to ensure that both authorities and communities are informed, engaged, and ready before registration opens on April 8.
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