The Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) is preparing to recruit nearly 10,000 temporary election workers as The Gambia gets ready for the December 5 presidential election.
The commission’s director of communications, Pa Makan Khan, announced the recruitment plan during an interview with GRTS on Wednesday, saying efforts were underway to secure the personnel and logistical support needed to conduct the polls.
“We are very much engaged with recruitment of polling staff,” Khan said.
He explained that applications were being received at IEC offices across the country, with the recruitment process scheduled to close on October 15. Those selected will fill various positions, including presiding officers, assistant presiding officers and other polling support roles.
According to Khan, applicants will be assessed through a competitive process involving shortlisting, tests and interviews, with the aim of selecting suitable candidates for the different responsibilities.
The commission’s target reflects the scale of the operation required to manage voting nationwide. Khan put the number of polling stations at 1,776, each needing at least four officials to oversee the voting process.
He said around 8,000 personnel would work directly at polling stations, while the remainder would take up supervisory and administrative duties. These would include assistant returning officers tasked with overseeing electoral activities at constituency level.
Khan outlined the role of polling staff, explaining that each station would be headed by a presiding officer. Other officials would check voters’ registration details, apply indelible ink and guide voters through the process.
The IEC is also introducing a new position, data officer, as part of efforts to improve the collection of information on voter participation.
Khan said the officers would record participation figures according to gender and disability status. The information, he explained, would help the commission assess how different groups engage in elections and provide useful data for future planning, research and policy decisions.
The initiative is intended to give the electoral body a clearer picture of participation among different sections of the population and strengthen its ability to plan for more inclusive elections.
With the presidential vote approaching, the recruitment exercise represents one of several operational tasks facing the IEC. The commission must ensure that polling stations are adequately staffed and that officials understand their duties before election day.
Khan said the preparations were part of the IEC’s wider effort to deliver a credible and well-organised election on December 5.
The recruitment deadline of October 15 is a key milestone in that process, as the commission works to put the necessary workforce in place for the nationwide vote.
