The National Election Committee (NEC) on April 17 began distributing voter information cards to almost 90 per cent of the Kingdom’s registered voters.

The 9,205,681 cards will inform voters of their registered name on the voter list, associated ID numbers, voting location and the time and date that they should cast their ballots in the June 5 Commune Council Election.

NEC spokesperson Som Sorida told The Post on April 17 that distribution of the cards would end on May 16.

He said the main purpose of distributing the cards is to ensure a clear understanding of the requirements of participating in Cambodia’s democratic process. The information cards also makes it easy to check and verify names against the voter lists.

According to Sorida, obtaining a voter information card is very important because it also informs voters of the documentation they will need to present on the day of the election, such as a national identity Card.

Citizens who hold an expired Khmer identity card – or whose card is damaged or missing – should go to the Commune Election Commission and apply for a temporary election ID.

“The last date the NEC will issue identification documents for this election is Friday, June 3. I urge those members of the public who do not hold a current ID to apply for a temporary one as soon as possible,” he said.

Sok Hing, director of the Battambang Provincial Election Secretariat, told The Post on April 17 that the distribution process went smoothly on the first day, and that there had not been any problems.

He said he had received warm welcomes from members of the public that he had issued cards to, adding that people seemed to be looking forward to going to the polls.