In Cameroon, the question of who gets to vote on election day has once again stirred debate. While the law makes special provision for certain categories of citizens on duty, journalists and media professionals remain excluded. The concern resurfaced this Wednesday 3 September 2025 in Bafoussam, where reporters and editors from the North West and West Regions gathered for a workshop on “Human rights monitoring during electoral periods.”
The three-day training, organised by the United Nations Centre for Human Rights and Democracy in Central Africa, seeks to equip media actors with tools for ethical, responsible, and rights-based election coverage. Yet, as participants noted, their exclusion from the provisions of Article 102 of the Electoral Code means that many will spend election day documenting the democratic process while being denied the opportunity to exercise their own right to vote.
Article 102 of Cameroon’s Electoral Code is clear: no person may vote unless registered in the polling station concerned. The law, however, carves out exceptions. Members of polling commissions, military, retired or transferred civil servants for example, may cast their ballots at the stations where they serve, even if not registered there, provided they present their voter card. This ensures that those charged with managing the vote are not disenfranchised by their duty.
But journalists, whose role is equally critical in safeguarding transparency and deterring malpractice, are absent from this list. On voting day, many reporters are dispatched far from their registered polling stations to cover events. For them, the ballot box remains out of reach.
In response to the journalists’ concerns, the delegation paid a courtesy visit to the Regional Delegation of Elections Cameroon (ELECAM). Regional Delegate Abdoullahi B. admitted that the complaint was legitimate. However, he stressed that the Electoral Code does not currently recognise journalists and media professionals among those permitted to vote outside their home stations.
He suggested that journalists who are electors could formally petition the Electoral Board of ELECAM for consideration.
“The law is silent on this matter, but nothing stops journalists from writing to the Board. That is where such a request should begin,” Abdoullahi said.
Part view of ELECAM West Regional Delegation office
ELECAM’s Regional Board Member, Mohamadou Boubakar, speaking through the delegate, went further. He recommended that should the Electoral Board decline, media professionals could approach a competent court, which has the authority to issue an order granting them the right to vote while on assignment as provider for by the electoral code.
The exclusion of journalists is not a narrow professional inconvenience; it has broader democratic consequences. In a context where Cameroon already grapples with low voter turnout and widespread scepticism about the electoral process, denying voting rights to an entire category of citizens can only deepen apathy.
Journalists are not ordinary voters on election day. Their presence in the field reassures the public that the process is being scrutinised independently. If they themselves are barred from participating, their credibility is weakened, and their disenfranchisement sends a signal that not every citizen’s voice counts equally.
The contradiction, analysts argue, is glaring. By prioritising the right of polling officials to vote at duty stations while ignoring journalists whose coverage is indispensable for credibility, the law inadvertently undermines the very inclusiveness it seeks to promote.
International law is unambiguous about the right to vote. Article 21 (3) of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1948) affirms that “the will of the people shall be the basis of the authority of government” and that every citizen has the right to take part in the conduct of public affairs through free elections. Similarly, Article 25 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (1966) guarantees every citizen the right and opportunity, without unreasonable restrictions, to vote and be elected at genuine periodic elections. Journalists argue that Cameroon’s current Electoral Code, by denying them the possibility to vote while on official duty, runs counter to these international obligations.
For many media professionals, the way forward lies in a clear amendment to the Electoral Code. Relying on petitions to ELECAM or ad hoc court orders may provide temporary relief, but they fall short of guaranteeing consistent, nationwide recognition of journalists’ rights on election day.
The Bafoussam training, which continues until Friday 5 September, is expected to produce a set of recommendations on electoral monitoring. Journalists say they will use the opportunity to formally restate their demand for inclusion in the law.
The organisers from the United Nations Centre for Human Rights and Democracy in Central Africa represented at the training by Fonyuy Kiven and Houryata Diarra also underscored that participation rights are central to democracy. By empowering journalists to cover elections through a human rights lens, the Centre believes it is equally important to ensure that their own rights as citizens are protected. They have advised media unions and associations in Cameroon to follow the proposed procedures if they want a change.
As Cameroon edges closer to upcoming electoral contests, the question remains whether authorities will move to bridge this gap. Journalists argue that recognising their right to vote while on duty would not only strengthen their professional legitimacy but also serve as a small but significant step towards restoring public confidence in the ballot box.
Until then, every election risks disenfranchising those tasked with telling its story.
By Bakah Derick for Hilltopvoices Newsroom
Email: hilltopvoicesnewspaper@gmail.com
Tel: 6 94 71 85 77