![Prof. Abednego Akok, NEC Chairperson. [Photo: Courtesy]](https://i0.wp.com/www.sudanspost.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/Prof.-Abednego-Akok.webp?resize=1024%2C576&ssl=1)
Speaking during a one-day voter registration workshop in Juba on Wednesday, NEC Chairperson Prof. Abednego Akok Kacuol said the commission had decided to conduct the registration manually.
“It is one of the problems that has made me unpopular with the scientists who suggest that we apply by metrics. I said no. 70% of the population are uneducated. So we must apply manually. We must apply manually. And maybe many of you may be running elections,” Akok said.
Akok said the decision was based on the need to ensure that the registration process is accessible to citizens across the country, particularly in communities with limited literacy and access to technology.
He said the commission would instead use manual registration materials to enroll eligible voters, with the records later transferred to computers.
“Your task to run an election is to register the population in your state. From the top to the Bomas, they must be registered. You have to do this, irrespective of whoever is the person,” said Akok.
Akok urged election officials to preserve the original registration records in their respective offices, saying the documents would serve as an important record for future generations.
“The science books we are going to send to you, after registration, don’t destroy them. Don’t destroy them. Keep them in your states. They will be the base of the future,” he said.
“We will go, but the generation will come and will say, ‘Yes, this is what has been done by the election commission by that time.'” These are science books.”
Akok called on state and administrative-area election officials to conduct the registration exercise peacefully and in accordance with the law, describing voter registration as a critical step in the electoral process.
“You register people. You store them. You transfer them to the computers. But the copies must be kept in the election offices for the generation to come.”
He also reminded officials that the Elections Act provides that citizens aged 18 years and above are eligible to register and vote.
He warned election officials against failing to understand and properly apply voter registration rules ahead of the December 22, 2026, general elections.
He said electoral officials must have a clear understanding of the legal requirements and procedures governing voter registration to prevent errors, inconsistencies, and disputes during the exercise.
