Jonathan Moyo: Polling Stations Are Determined By Registered Voters, Not Delimitation

Jonathan Moyo, Zimbabwe’s former Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services Minister who is currently in self-exile, has stated that the determination of the number, names, and location of polling stations by the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) is not based on the delimitation exercise or report. Rather, it is determined by the number of registered voters for a particular election under existing constituency and ward electoral boundaries.

Moyo’s comments were made in response to a tweet by Team Pachedu that claimed ZEC had made significant changes that contradicted the gazetted final delimitation report. In a Twitter post seen by Pindula News, Moyo said that the delimitation report only concerns the electoral boundaries of constituencies and wards, while the establishment of polling stations is governed by the Electoral Act. He said:

The determination of the number, names and location of polling stations by @ZECzim is not based on the delimitation exercise or report; but on the number of registered voters at any given time for a particular election under existing constituency and ward electoral boundaries!

 P/S: For the avoidance of doubt, and although initially it was not necessary to specifically refer to it, but is now necessary in light of the apparent dishonesty of the authors of the tweet in question, my above EXPLANATION that the DETERMINATION by @ZECzim of the number, names and location of polling stations is not based on the GAZETTED DELIMITATION REPORT but on the number of registered voters at any given time for a particular election was in fact a polite response to this tweet posted by @PacheduZW yesterday (Saturday):

“ZEC has made significant changes THAT CONTRADICT what is in the gazetted final DELIMITATION REPORT. For instance, we have found 1083 new polling station codes that ZEC is using but ARE NOWHERE in the DELIMITATION REPORT.”

Buy Samsung, itel, Redmi smartphones in Zimbabwe

WhatsApp: +263715068543

My simple and straightforward point – which is the correct legal position- is that polling stations are not based on the Delimitation Report which is only about the electoral boundaries of constituencies whose number is fixed in the Constitution, and wards whose number may change during a delimitation exercise that should be done every 10 years.

Polling stations are created or established anytime, depending on the number of registered voters, whenever there is a by-election or general election.

Therefore, there can be no contradiction whatsoever between the delimitation report and the number, names or location of polling stations.

The legal process for establishing polling stations is entirely a different matter, as provided for in the Electoral Act!

More Pindula News