Proof Of Residence No Longer Required For Voter Registration - Electoral Amendment Bill 2022
Cabinet has received and approved the Electoral Amendment Bill 2022 which, among other things, scrapped the proof of residence requirement for voter registration.
The Bill was presented by Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ziyambi Ziyambi.
The development was announced during a post-Cabinet briefing on Tuesday by Information, Publicity, and Broadcasting Services Minister Monica Mutsvangwa.
Changes brought by the Bill:
1). Prospective voters are now required to produce a valid passport or national identity card as proof of identity before they register to vote. Previously, prospective voters were required to produce proof of residence to register to vote and some tenants would face challenges in acquiring the proof of residence as some landlords were not so keen to indulge them.
2). The Bill seeks to amend the Electoral Act [Chapter 2:13] to provide for the timeframe within which national assembly and local authority candidates can withdraw from contesting in an election.
3). The Bill will also provide for the incorporation of the 30 percent women quota as well as the youth quota and the amendment of the definition of proof of identity.
While some Zimbabweans have welcomed the new Bill saying it will make it easier for those without proof of residence papers to register to vote, some electoral stakeholders bemoan “secrecy” surrounding the Bill.
They say Minister Ziyambi did not consult as required by the laws of the land.
