The National Election Commission (NEC) organized an education, publicity and awareness-raising session on the “Importance of Elections in Cambodia” for political parties, stakeholders and NEC officials at the National Institute of Education (NIE) on the morning of September 25, 2026, under the chairmanship of Mr. Prajn Chan, President of the NEC.
On this occasion, Mr. Prajn Chan gave a lecture on “The General Situation of the Election Process in Cambodia and Important Tasks in the Process of Checking the Voter List and Registration for 2026”, focusing on the importance of elections, the rights and obligations of voters, the process of preparing for the election, checking the voter list and registration for 2026, and the roles of relevant parties in the election process.
The NEC Chairman said that in the implementation of democracy, elections are the most important foundation that allows voters, who are the owners of the destiny of each country, to express their will through elections to choose the leaders they prefer.
Mr. He explained that when talking about “elections”, we should not only think about the day when citizens go to the polling station to collect their ballots and mark their support for the political party they prefer on the ballots, because the election process has many stages, from the stage of checking the list and voter registration to the announcement of the election results as stipulated by law. Therefore, understanding the election is essential for citizens and all relevant parties.
He stated that citizen participation begins with understanding, such as checking whether they are eligible to vote, understanding the documents to be used, checking the names on the voter list, voter registration sites and polling stations, and understanding how to maintain the secrecy of the election. Therefore, understanding before the election is as important as going to the polls.
Regarding the development of election preparations in Cambodia, in his lecture, the Chairman of the National Election Commission recalled the history of election preparations in Cambodia from the 1993 election to the preparation of elections by national institutions. After the 1993 elections, the Royal Government of Cambodia prepared for the election of the 2nd National Assembly of Cambodia in 1998 by establishing the Central Election Office in 1995 to research and prepare election plans. The Law on the Election of the National Assembly was passed on December 19, 1997 and officially promulgated on December 26, 1997. The NEC was then established on January 30, 1998. The NEC Chairman informed that from one election to another, the NEC has continuously improved and reformed the legal framework, management, technical, implementation, and security work, which until now can be divided into two main phases as follows: 1. Since 1998, after each election, the NEC has always studied, researched, summarized, and evaluated the process of election preparation, reviewed, and accepted recommendations for improving the election from national and international stakeholders, and has collaborated with the Royal Government to improve and reform the election in accordance with the laws and context of Cambodia and in accordance with international standards. –>
Secondly- Since 2015, Cambodia has carried out in-depth electoral reforms on three main points: the legal framework, the institutional framework, and the management and technical aspects of elections, especially the reform of voter registration and electoral rolls.
For the review of the 2026 voter registration and electoral roll through the lecture of the NEC Chairman It was stated that the NEC is currently working on reviewing the voter list and registration for 2026 to prepare a voter list for the 2027 Commune Council Elections for the 6th Mandate. This process will take place from October 7, 2026 to February 12, 2027. The review of voter lists and registration in communes and sangkats nationwide will last 55 days, from October 7 to November 30, 2026, with the goal of registering new voters for Cambodian citizens who are eligible to vote but have not yet registered to vote, citizens who have just turned 18 by the 2027 Commune Council Elections, and citizens who have moved to a new place of residence or residence in the commune or sangkat. This work also includes updating biometric data for citizens who registered to vote in 2016 and 2017, correcting biographical data, and extracting and deleting names from the voter list based on valid supporting documents.
Education and publicity about elections According to the content of the lecture, the NEC Chairman highlighted that education and publicity about elections is an important part of raising citizens’ awareness. and relevant parties. The Chairman added that the dissemination of information about the election process must ensure that the information is accurate, timely and professional, and that it complies with the laws, regulations and procedures of the NEC and the relevant code of ethics.
Finally, Mr. Prajna Chan called on all relevant parties to cooperate according to their roles in promoting and encouraging citizens who are eligible to vote but have not yet registered. Those who have just turned 18 and those who have moved to a new place of residence or residence in a commune or sangkat are invited to register to vote. For those who are already on the voter list, please verify your data and request corrections if there are any incorrect records, especially those who registered in 2016 and 2017. Please come and update your biometric data as required.
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