IEC Detects Over 24,000 Suspected Double Registrations During 2026 Supplementary Voter Exercise

By Makutu Manneh

The Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) has identified 24,058 suspected cases of double registration during the 2026 supplementary voter registration exercise, which ran from April 4 to May 21.

IEC Chairman Joseph Colley disclosed the findings at a commission stakeholder meeting, stating that biometric matching had flagged individuals who appeared to have registered more than once.

“Double or multiple voter registration is a criminal offense under the laws of The Gambia. The Commission will take the relevant measures in response,” Colley said.

The Chairman indicated that potential measures include prosecution of offenders or their disqualification from participating in elections. He added that an adjudication process is currently underway to verify the suspected cases and confirm duplications before any action is taken.

Colley noted that applicants are asked during registration whether they have previously enrolled, and that most respond in the negative. “We inform them of the implications of registering twice,” he said.

Expressing concern over the scale of the problem, Colley pointed out that more than 2,800 double registrations were detected within just the first two weeks of the exercise. He said the final figure of 24,000 over six weeks was alarming. “Something is wrong somewhere. It is not our fault—we carried out massive public education and informed people of the rules. Maybe people now want to test the waters; I don’t know,” he remarked.

The Chairman recalled a similar situation in 2011, when political parties urged the Commission to grant amnesty to those who had registered twice, arguing they were among their core voters. He drew a sharp contrast between that episode and the current one, noting that 24,000 suspected cases represent a figure nearly equal to the entire population of the country’s capital.

Colley confirmed that the final voter register will be updated following the publication of the provisional list and the conclusion of the revising courts’ processes.