It is 40 days before Gambians head to the polls on December 5, 2026, to elect a president for the next five-year term. As political parties and presidential aspirants prepare for the election, questions about the voters’ register, counting procedures and transparency remain central to the electoral process.

The Independent Electoral Commission (IEC), the body responsible for organising and conducting elections, has been preparing for the poll under the 1997 Constitution, as amended, and the Elections Act 2025.

The IEC currently lists 27 registered political parties. However, registration as a political party does not automatically qualify a party or its leader to contest the presidency. Prospective candidates must satisfy the legal nomination requirements and be formally accepted by the commission.

The nomination of presidential candidates is scheduled for November 3–14, 2026. Following the nomination process and the necessary scrutiny, the IEC will publish the official list of candidates eligible to contest the December 5 presidential election.

This explainer examines how the electoral system works, how votes are counted and collated, when results are announced, and what can be done if an irregularity or dispute arises.

What electoral system does The Gambia use?

The Gambia uses a first-past-the-post, or plurality, system for presidential elections. Under this system, the candidate who receives the highest number of valid votes wins; a candidate does not need to secure more than 50 per cent of the votes to be elected. This system differs from an absolute-majority system, which requires a candidate to obtain more than half of the valid votes cast.

Section 48 of the 1997 Constitution, as amended, provides that a candidate must obtain the highest number of valid votes to be elected on the first ballot. If two or more candidates tie for the highest number, a second ballot must be held between the tied candidates within 14 days.

The system is distinct from the method used to cast votes. Rather than marking paper ballots, Gambian voters use a marble or token and a ballot drum bearing their preferred candidate’s identification.

According to the IEC, the ballot-token and metal-drum system was introduced before the 1960 general elections, partly because literacy levels at the time made paper ballots difficult for many voters to use. The commission also identifies security against electoral fraud as one of the reasons for introducing the system.

How does voting work?

On election day, polling stations are scheduled to open at 8 am and close at 5 pm. Voters who are already in the queue at closing time are allowed to cast their votes. To vote, a person must have a valid voter’s card, be registered and present themselves at the correct polling station. The polling officials check the voter’s card against the register and verify their identity. The voter’s left forefinger is then marked with indelible ink to help prevent multiple voting.

Once the checks are completed, the presiding officer gives the voter a marble or token. The voter enters the private voting compartment and drops the token into the drum corresponding to their preferred candidate. The presiding officer listens for the sound of the token hitting the drum as confirmation that it has been cast. The voter then leaves the compartment.

The process is designed to allow voters to make their choices privately while enabling election officials to account for the tokens and the votes recorded for each candidate.

How many registered voters are there?

The final number of registered voters eligible to participate in the December 2026 presidential election had not been officially established yet; however, the 2021 general voter registration exercise produced a final register of 962,157 voters. During the 2026 supplementary registration exercise, the IEC reported that 212,095 people had registered. The supplementary exercise was intended to update the existing register ahead of the presidential election.

However, the two figures should not simply be added together and presented as the final electorate. The 2026 supplementary register must be consolidated with the existing register, and the necessary corrections and removals must be made following the revising-court process.

The registration figures have also been the subject of public questions. The opposition United Democratic Party raised concerns about differences between the headline supplementary-registration figure and a dataset supplied to political parties. The IEC disputed the claim that there was an unresolved discrepancy and said the register could only be finalised after the revising courts completed their work.

The revising courts have now concluded their hearings. The next important step is for the IEC to incorporate the court-directed changes and publish the final register and confirmed voter totals. The final figure matters because it will establish the number of registered voters and provide a baseline against which turnout can be calculated.

What laws govern the election?

The main legal framework for the presidential election comprises the 1997 Constitution of The Gambia, as amended, and the Elections Act 2025.

The Constitution establishes the fundamental framework for presidential elections, including the electoral system and the process for challenging the validity of a presidential election. The Elections Act 2025 provides the more detailed rules governing electoral administration, voter registration, nominations, polling, counting and other aspects of the electoral process.

The IEC is responsible for conducting the election in accordance with this legal framework.

Where are votes counted?

Voting and counting take place at polling stations across the country. The count begins at the polling station after the polls close and is conducted in the presence of authorised election personnel and accredited representatives.

The IEC’s published counting procedures identify the following categories of people who may be present at a polling or counting centre:

• IEC officials;
• two polling or counting agents per candidate;
• accredited domestic and international election observers;
• accredited media practitioners, with one representative per media house;
• candidates, if they wish to attend;
• designated regional authorities;
• IEC partners and guests; and
• security personnel on duty at the centre.

Attendance is subject to the commission’s rules and authorisation. The presence of security personnel does not give them responsibility for counting votes; that task belongs to the authorised election officials.

How are the votes counted?

Once polling closes, the presiding officer begins the counting procedure. This involves checking the ballot-token account and polling time, allowing agents to verify the seal numbers and then breaking the seals on the ballot drums.

The tokens are poured onto a sieve and filtered before being arranged on a counting tray. The presiding officer displays the tray to the agents and observers present, showing the count in a manner that allows them to see the tokens attributed to each candidate.

The presiding officer then records the votes received by each candidate on the official counting form. After the count, the tokens are returned to their respective drums, which are resealed.

Candidate agents are entitled to receive copies of the counting form. A copy is also posted at the polling station or counting centre, while another is sent to the collation centre. Agents may also sign the close-of-poll report.
These procedures provide several opportunities to check the figures: agents can observe the physical count, compare the totals recorded on the counting form and retain a copy of the result for subsequent scrutiny.

How are polling-station results collated?

Counting at individual polling stations is only the first stage of the results process. After the votes are counted and recorded, the results are transmitted to the relevant collation centre. There, officials aggregate the results from polling stations within the constituency and check the figures before passing the totals to the appropriate regional electoral officer.

The IEC’s published procedures require care when tabulating the results to ensure that the figures are correctly added and recorded. Candidate agents may accompany the relevant electoral officials to the collation centre at their own expense.

Collation is important because the final constituency and national totals must reflect the results recorded at individual polling stations. A mistake in adding figures, transcribing a result or transferring a form can create a discrepancy that needs to be investigated.

For that reason, polling-station results and copies of the official forms are important accountability tools. They allow authorised agents and observers to compare the figures announced at different stages of the process.

When will the official results be announced?

The IEC has not established a statutory deadline that guarantees the announcement of presidential results within a fixed number of hours after polling closes.

In the 2021 presidential election, held on December 4, the IEC chairperson announced the results on December 5. However, the European Union Election Observation Mission subsequently criticised delays in publishing the detailed results and recommended that polling-station-level results be made publicly available without delay.

It is therefore important to distinguish between the announcement of results by the authorised electoral authority and the publication of the full set of results for public scrutiny.

Political parties, media organisations and election observers may compile their own figures from polling-station results. Such compilations can help monitor the process, but they are not official declarations of the winner.

The IEC is the authority responsible for declaring the official presidential result.

What happens if something goes wrong?

Errors, disagreements and allegations of irregularities should be dealt with through established procedures rather than assumptions or unverified claims.

If a candidate’s agent disputes the count: The agent should raise the concern with the presiding officer and follow the applicable procedure. The concern should be documented, and the agent should retain the official counting form and any relevant records. The exact grounds and procedure for requesting a recount or other corrective action should be checked against the Elections Act 2025 and the IEC’s current counting rules.

If the figures appear inconsistent at a collation centre: The discrepancy should be brought to the attention of the responsible electoral officials. The relevant polling-station forms and collation records can be compared to establish whether the difference resulted from an addition, transcription or transmission error, or whether a more serious issue requires investigation.

If a voter suspects an irregularity: The voter should record what they personally observed, including the location, time and circumstances, where it is safe to do so. They can report the matter to the IEC or bring it to the attention of an accredited election observer or other appropriate authority. Claims circulating on social media should not be treated as verified evidence without corroboration.

An apparent discrepancy does not, by itself, prove electoral fraud. Equally, a concern should not be dismissed merely because it has been raised by a political party. The relevant evidence and the applicable legal procedures should determine how the matter is handled.

How can a presidential election result be challenged?

The law provides a separate judicial process for challenging the validity of a presidential election.

Section 49 of the 1997 Constitution, as amended, provides that a registered political party that participated in the presidential election, or an independent candidate who participated in it, may petition the Supreme Court to determine the validity of the election. The petition must be filed within 10 days of the declaration of the result.

This is different from objecting to the counting process. An objection at a polling station or collation centre concerns an issue that arises during the administration or tabulation of the election. A presidential election petition asks the Supreme Court to determine the validity of the election under the Constitution.

The precise grounds, evidentiary requirements and procedures applicable to a petition should be confirmed with an election lawyer and against the current legislation.

The Chief Justice heads the Supreme Court, but election disputes are determined through the court’s judicial process; they are not simply decided by the Chief Justice acting alone.

What should voters remember?

The integrity of an election depends not only on how votes are cast, but also on how they are counted, recorded, transferred, checked and ultimately declared. Voters can help protect confidence in the process by seeking information from the IEC and credible observers, reporting specific concerns through appropriate channels, and avoiding the circulation of unverified allegations.

For political parties and their agents, observing the count, obtaining copies of the official forms and documenting objections are important ways to scrutinise the process. As The Gambia prepares for the December 5 presidential election, transparency at every stage from the final voters’ register to the publication of polling-station results will be central to public confidence in the outcome.

Following the nomination process, Malagen will publish the final list of approved presidential candidates and examine their manifestos to help voters understand the choices before them.