Cameroon Has Digitalized Data Collection for ID Cards, Why Isn’t It Same for Presidential File Submissions?

By Hans Ngala

A year ago, Cameroonian officials announced that those seeking to make new ID cards could now enter their details through an online system. The system reduces the processing time for ID cards and passports significantly. But when it comes to the submission of files at ELECAM, hardcopy files are still the norm. Why can’t this be upgraded as well?
In this day and age, this seems like the logical and most reasonable thing to do, given that most Cameroonians do not trust public institutions in Cameroon. When it comes to something as crucial as elections, ensuring that every candidate gets a free and fair chance is even more vital.
Thousands of Cameroonians either do not have an ID card or passport, while some have had them, they have expired, and renewing them has proven to be a cumbersome exercise, leaving some Cameroonians to opt to go without any form of identification altogether. Due to the bottlenecks that come with trying to procure new identification documents in Cameroon.
A digitalized system has encouraged some of them to compile their documents and submit and pay online, printing out just the receipt to present at their nearest police station.
As Cameroon approaches its 2025 presidential election, the country’s electoral board, Elections Cameroon (ELECAM), still requires presidential hopefuls to submit their application files in hard copy. These include documents like birth certificates, criminal records, and tax clearance certificates—many of which can take weeks or even months to obtain. Beyond inefficiency, the use of physical documents opens the door to manipulation, misplacement, or selective rejection of candidates’ files based on political considerations.
Given the political climate in Cameroon, where mistrust in public institutions runs deep, this outdated system only fuels suspicion and disillusionment among citizens. If basic identification processes can be digitized, why can’t a more secure, transparent, and faster process be applied to candidate submissions?
Several African countries are ahead of Cameroon in adopting technology for elections — both in terms of candidate registration and actual voting.
Kenya, for instance, uses biometric voter registration and electronic transmission of results. Although challenges remain, the digitized system is designed to prevent multiple voting, impersonation, and the rigging of results at polling stations. Candidates also submit part of their documentation online, and political parties interact with the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) through secure digital platforms.
Ghana has implemented a comprehensive biometric verification system that not only registers voters but also authenticates them at polling stations using fingerprint scanners. Candidate registration has also been partly digitized, and electoral results are transmitted electronically from collation centers.
South Africa’s Electoral Commission runs one of the most transparent systems on the continent. Voter registration can be done entirely online, including address verification and polling station assignment. Political parties are also subject to strict digital disclosures regarding campaign financing, monitored in real-time by the electoral commission.
In all these cases, digitization has played a central role in reducing electoral fraud, increasing transparency, and promoting public trust.

Why Cameroon Should Follow Suit

Cameroon’s failure to digitize presidential candidate submissions represents more than just administrative inefficiency—it reflects a resistance to change that serves the interests of entrenched elites. Keeping the system paper-based allows for selective disqualification, file “loss,” and other opaque practices that undermine democratic participation.
Digital submissions would eliminate many of these risks. A secure online portal could be built to accept encrypted files, track submissions in real-time, and provide confirmation receipts. Candidates could submit their files from anywhere, reducing the need for intermediaries and costly travel. Audits could be conducted more easily, and the process would become more equitable and less vulnerable to political interference.
Moreover, with so many Cameroonians lacking national ID cards due to systemic bottlenecks, digital voter registration could ease the burden of verification and allow eligible citizens to register with temporary biometric identifiers. This would broaden electoral participation and ensure that citizens are not disenfranchised simply because the government cannot process their identification documents in time.
In 2025, Cameroon is likely to see another tightly contested presidential election. With President Paul Biya now 92 years old and having ruled for more than four decades, tensions are expected to run high. In such a context, electoral processes must be beyond reproach.
Digitalizing the presidential file submission process—and eventually the voting process—would not only improve efficiency and transparency, but also help restore public confidence in Cameroon’s electoral system. If the government could digitize ID card registration, it could certainly do the same for presidential elections. The technology exists, the expertise is available, and the public is ready. What’s missing is the political will.
Until that changes, questions will continue to linger about the legitimacy of elections and the fairness of candidate selection in Cameroon.