Cameroon: Over 8.2 Million Voters Registered Ahead of 2025 Election

Over 8.2 million Cameroonian voters have registered on the electoral roll ahead of the country’s highly anticipated presidential election in October 2025, Elections Cameroon (ELECAM) has revealed. The Electoral Board made the announcement during its second ordinary session on Saturday, June 28, 2025.

According to Dr. Enow Abrams Egbe, Chairperson of the Electoral Board, the sum of registered voters as of June 26, 2025, was 8,219,210.

Dr. Abrams Egbe summarised the proceedings of the recent ELECAM board meeting, announcing that 373,588 new voters enrolled between January 2 and June 26, 2025.

This was thanks to the deployment of 1,000 state-of-the-art biometric enrolment kits and a nationwide voter registration campaign.

“We are pleased with the progress made so far in preparation for the October election,” said Dr. Abrams Egbe.

“With the support of our technical staff and the effective deployment of modern biometric kits, we are on track to deliver a credible and transparent electoral process.”

The session, attended by Vice-Chairperson Mrs. Appoline Marie Amugu née Abena Ekobena and Director General of ELECAM, Dr. Erik Essousse, also reviewed progress reports on election preparedness and financial accountability, including the status of special appropriations for the Electoral Board.

Dr. Abrams Egbe also welcomed the implementation of a United Nations-backed technical assistance project for Cameroon’s 2025–2027 electoral cycle, which has seen capacity-building and stakeholder consultation meetings organized over the past months.

Voter Registration Trends and Context

Current voter registration figures indicate a strong push to mobilise the electorate, especially with the President of the Republic set to convene the electoral college in the coming weeks. Once the presidential decree is issued, voter registration will officially close.

In the 2018 presidential election, ELECAM reported just over 6.6 million registered voters.

Despite contested voter turnout figures, President Paul Biya secured re-election with 71.3% of the vote, facing allegations of irregularities from some opposition parties.

The increase to over 8.2 million registrants ahead of the 2025 vote indicates greater political engagement, especially among youth and first-time voters.

However, questions remain about whether this surge in registration will lead to high voter turnout, especially in the Anglophone regions which are still grappling with insecurity and displacement.

Diaspora Engagement

As part of its preparations, ELECAM also reviewed mission reports from its branches and diaspora missions and adopted terms for a nationwide field trip from August 16 to 31, 2025, aimed at supervising the closure of the voter registration process.

Cameroon’s electoral body has also gained recognition within the sub-region.

During the network’s General Assembly in Burundi in May 2025, ELECAM took n the role of Treasurer General of the Central African Network of Electoral Management Bodies (ROGEAC).

The Electoral Board concluded its session by praising the clarity and timeliness of the election readiness documents submitted by the Director General and reaffirmed its commitment to ensuring the smooth delivery of electoral materials and processes.

With less than four months to the election, attention will soon be turning to the official campaign period, the announcement of presidential candidates, and the capacity of ELECAM to maintain credibility.

MMI