With about four months left until the Presidential and Provincial Council elections, the Independent Election Commission (IEC) has said that public awareness is crucial to the success of the elections and will be rolling out a number of initiatives focused on expanding it.
A number of civil society institutions and government ministries have also begun their own efforts to promote public awareness.
Public awareness is essential to getting Afghans out to the polls in April, but it also plays into how wisely they make their candidate choices. Ultimately, many experts have said the credibility of the elections could come down to whether or not there is a large voter turnout.
Recent surveys still indicate that the majority of Afghans lack awareness and information about the elections.
The IEC detailed a series of programs for strengthening public awareness on Thursday, the first day of the new year.
"We intend to dispatch 15,000 personnel to the villages to convey the real message of the elections to the people so that the election is held in a free and transparent manner on April 5," IEC Secretariat Chief Zia-ul-Haq Amarkhail said.
Meanwhile, a civil society network signed a memorandum of understanding with the Ministry of Women's Affairs and the Ministry of Hajj & Religious Affairs to develop public awareness about the elections.
"We hope to have free and transparent elections with more female participation by seeking cooperation of civil society institutions to persuade families and women to cast ballots in the elections," said Muzhgan Mustafavi, Deputy Minister of Women Affairs.
"On the basis of this memorandum of understanding signed today, the Ministry of Hajj & Religious Affairs will strive to work for strengthening public awareness of the elections," advisor to the Ministry of Hajj and Religious Affairs Ghulamuddin Qalandari said.
IEC officials have said that the contribution of religious scholars is important when it comes to legitimizing the elections, as they are some of the most well-respected and well-connected leaders in the country.
The IEC has called on media and civil society institutions to cooperate with the election commission for enhancing public awareness.