NEC attends BRIDGE training on Boundary Delimitation and Voter Registration

written by NEC Press | March 28, 2025

On 25th to 28th March 2025, the National Election Commission (NEC) attended a 4-day customized modular workshop on Boundary Delimitation and Voter Registration in Juba supported by the United Nations Integrated Election Assistance Team (UN-IEAT). The training utilized BRIDGE (Building Resources in Democracy, Governance and Elections), a comprehensive capacity development curriculum for election management bodies worldwide. The workshop being the first of two on the topics brought together NEC Commissioners, members of the secretariat as well as members of the State High Election Committees (SHECs) in Upper Nile, Unity, Lakes, Northern Bahr El Ghazal and Central Equatoria.

The workshop was led by BRIDGE facilitators Natia Kashakashvili and Shalva Tskhakaya and supported by BRIDGE facilitators – Ahon Malou Lueth Makeny and John Kuot Kuany Diing. The workshop was opened by welcoming remarks from the NEC chairperson Prof. Abednego Akok Kacuol  and the Head of the UN-IEAT/UNMISS Principal Electoral Affairs Officer, Darren Nance.

Participants were taken through:

  1. Analyzing the implications of boundary drawing decisions on electoral outcomes and representation in the South Sudanese context.
  2. Identify and apply principles that ensure fair and effective electoral boundary delimitation appropriate to South Sudan’s demographic and geographic realities.
  3. Establish criteria for assessing the fairness and effectiveness of proposed electoral boundaries.
  4. Master practical skills through hands-on activities that simulate the actual process of electoral boundary delimitation.
  5. Examine foundational principles of effective voter registration systems with particular attention to South Sudan’s unique challenges.
  6. Develop a comprehensive understanding of the administrative and logistical requirements for implementing voter registration in South Sudan.
  7. Compare various voter registration methodologies and systems to determine which approach best suits South Sudan’s infrastructure and population distribution.
  8. Collaboratively create operational planning frameworks for voter registration that can be adapted to local contexts.
  9. Strengthen the institutional capacity of the National Election Commission and State High Election Committees to implement electoral processes.
  10. Foster collaboration between national and state-level electoral authorities.
  11. Develop action plans for implementing workshop learnings in preparation for upcoming electoral activities.

The 4-day workshop has laid a strong foundation for understanding the different modalities of Boundary Delimitation and Voter Registration. Through the interactive sessions conducted, NEC and SHECs capacity is more enhanced which improves the institution’s readiness for the upcoming elections.