ZEC Voter Registration Blitz Commences
Large numbers of aspiring voters visited some Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) mobile biometric voter registration centres across the country on Sunday ahead of the 2023 general elections, reported NewsDay.
ZEC started its final voter registration blitz on Sunday, with the programme set to end on 21 March 2023.
Project Vote 263 chairperson Alan Chipoyi said their coordinators noted delays by ZEC officials in some places. Said Chipoyi:
People are coming out in numbers to register to vote in Budiriro for instance, but it appears there are delays at the ZEC offices.
We have coordinators across the countries reporting similar problems where registrants are waiting at the ZEC mobile centres for a while before they get service.
But ZEC educating officers are doing a sterling job of providing the necessary information to the public on this blitz. However, it does not make sense if the person then goes to the registration centre and fails to register.
If the issues at ZEC are not addressed with urgency, a significant number of youth will be deprived of an opportunity to register to vote
Speaking to NewsDay, Zimbabwe Election Advocacy Trust executive director Ignatius Sadziwa, said:
This can be attributed to the starting day being a Sunday when most people are attending church. We expect increased numbers as the week progresses.
However, we don’t see a lot of awareness being raised around the issue. ZEC is supposed to increase its advertising material so that people are aware.
At least 510 first-time voters are required from each of the 1 958 wards to reach the one million mark from this blitz.
I don’t think that is an asking figure if awareness is raised.
ZEC deputy chairperson Rodney Simukai Kiwa told the publication that it was too early to comment on turnout. He said:
It is early for us to comment on the turnout of the people on this registration blitz.
We will be in a position to comment at the end of the day (yesterday) for us to do a comparative analysis of the turnout to come up with an objective analysis.
More: Pindula News
