Broaden and Secure Postal and Special Voting
By Zimbabwe Election Support Network (ZESN)
There are ways to vote for persons who cannot be present personally in their
constituencies and wards on the designated voting days. The more traditional
way is Postal Voting and the second is Special Voting. This article analyses both
and makes recommendations for broader use to increase access to eligible voters
and greater security to prevent manipulation of these forms of voting.
Simplification of Procedure
The amendment will restrict postal voting to people (and their spouses) who are
outside Zimbabwe on Government business. One development is that the new
changes simplify what were previously elongated and bureaucratic procedures for
postal voting. The process was also opaque, which made it susceptible to rigging.
A significant development is that electronic communication is now permitted to
facilitate authorisation for postal voting.
As with all electronic communications, however, security mechanisms are
necessary to reduce the risk of abuse and manipulation. It is a requirement to
use official electronic mail addresses, authentication by the sender’s electronic
signature. The email must also be printed in hard copy. Rather than leave it open
to interpretation however, is necessary to provide a legislative definition of what
constitutes an “official electronic mail address” for the avoidance of doubt.
All postal voting applications must be chronologically recorded. The Chief
Elections Officer must keep a list of all postal ballot papers issued and relevant
details of the person to whom they were issued. All of this must be made
available for free public inspection which should enhance transparency. The
voters’ roll for each constituency should record clearly that specified individual
voters have been allowed to use postal voting. Such persons, once they have
voted using postal or special voting should be recorded in such a manner that
they cannot vote again in their wards.
Too Restricted
Whilst the simplification of the special procedure will help to expedite the process,
it is apparent that both postal and special voting remain too restricted in scope
and reach. For example, there are persons who may genuinely be out of the
country on non-government business – such as on temporary business, working
or seeking medical treatment. Zimbabwe has thousands of persons who work for
international organisations – as contracted staff of both inter-governmental and
non-governmental organisations - without necessary being designated as being
“on government business”.
The problems with the restriction are evident where business persons accompany
government on a trade mission for example to China. Unless the businesspersons
are designated as being outside the country “on government business” they will
be unable to use postal voting whilst their government counterparts can.
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