Authors: Sokem Assoua Riccardo, Desonge Kelvin Obase
Abstract: The Limbe Municipality which is characterized by its unique socio-economic and cultural landscape has a diverse population with varying levels of education, economic status, and access to information. These factors contribute significantly to the challenges faced in voter registration including Limited resources at local administrative offices leading to inefficiencies that discourage potential voters from registering, lack of sufficient registration centers, poor timing of Registration Campaigns, a significant lack of awareness about the importance of voter registration and the electoral process among rural populations, societal norms that limit women participation, While registering to vote should be free, associated costs such as transportation or time off work can pose significant barriers for low-income individuals living in rural areas like limbe and Economic pressures also lead individuals to prioritize immediate financial concerns over civic engagement activities like voter registration. The study explores and categorize the barriers to voter registration in the limbe municipality making use of the Social Capital Theory and the Institutional Theory. The study adopted a descriptive research design and employed a framework where primary and secondary data were collected through questionnaires, books and journals. The study found that Socio-economic barriers, such as low income, lack of education, and unemployment, significantly impede voter registration in the Limbe Municipality. The study recommends that there should be reform in the electoral commission to ensure its independence, impartiality, and efficiency. Improve the registration process by streamlining procedures, reducing wait times, and ensuring adequate staffing and resources at registration centers. Promote transparency by publishing registration data and making it accessible to the public. This addresses political and institutional factors, building trust in the electoral process.
DOI: http://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.20449402
