ECN was established by an Act of Parliament (Electoral Act No. 24 of 1992) to supervise and conduct all electoral activities in Namibia: voter registration, registration of parties, nomination of candidates, the organisation and administration of elections and the announcement of election results. In addition to these stipulated activities, the ECN is responsible for voter education and information.

Prior to 2000, the ECN operated under the auspices of the Office of the Prime Minister (OPM) through the Directorate of Elections, a Secretariat of the Commission. In April 2000, the Directorate of Elections delinked from the OPM and became a department of the Commission. Pursuant to an amendment of the Electoral Act of 1992, the Commission was established as a semiautonomous body with its own administration and budget. Although the ECN functions as a government ministry, it enjoys absolute autonomy and independence in organising and managing elections.

The ECN's role in the ESC includes voter education and overall co-ordination of the campaign.

Mandated to deliver free, fair and credible elections, the ECN aims to address the dire need for comprehensive voter education with special emphasis on prerequisite electoral information for the systematic and comprehensive registration of voters in preparation for future elections in Namibia. Section 13 of the Electoral Act (Act 24 of 1992) stipulates that the ECN must conduct general voters registration after every 10 years.

Via an intensive national voter and voter registration campaign utilising mass media, and voter educators, the ECN will aim to:

• Cultivate a culture of human rights, national reconciliation, political tolerance and participation in governance and electoral processes;

• Promote sound understanding of the process

• Mobilise resources for the conduct of the 2003 General Voters Registration.

The objectives of the ECN campaign include:

• Producing a credible voters register for national and local authorities elections;

• Delivering free, fair and credible elections;

• Increasing participation in national discourse of a political and social nature