Foreword The Zimbabwe Election Support Network (ZESN) is pleased to publish the 2018 Harmonized Elections Report. The report reviews the local, regional, and international legislative frameworks governing and guiding democratic elections in relation to the 2018 elections. It presents both narrative and quantitative analyses of the observation of the 2018 harmonized elections. It is important to note that ZESN observed all the processes in the electoral cycle from the Bio-metric Voter Registration (BVR) phase one to the mop-up exercise, the inspection of the voters’ roll, the sitting of the Nomination Court, political rallies and campaigns, primary elections polling, Election Day, and the post-polling period. The 2018 elections highlighted a positive shift in electoral processes with the upholding of fundamental freedoms such as the freedom of expression, press freedom and freedom of association showing some improvement from past election. The election also saw the participation of more than a hundred political parties and a number of female presidential candidates. In addition, more women registered to vote in 2018 than in the previous electoral cycles. Despite this, the actual number of women who were represented in Parliament fell by 2%. Only 26 women were elected in 2018 versus 29 who were elected in 2013. Engagements with various stakeholders led to the production of civic and voter education materials which were distributed widely among the electorate through outreach programmes. People with Disabilities (PWDs), women, the youth, and the elderly were adequately represented and provided for in all the outreach programmes that ZESN conducted. This, in turn, could have contributed to the higher voter turnout. The relevance of this report for further advocacy work and awareness-raising for inclusive and accessible elections cannot be underestimated. It will serve as a strategic tool for election stakeholders in promoting, monitoring, and evaluating democratic electoral processes in Zimbabwe. This report outlines ZESN’s observations, challenges, and lessons. ZESN remains cognisant of the reports produced by local, regional, and international observers and notes the recommendations put forward for improvement in policy making, accountability freeness, and credibility of future elections in Zimbabwe. ZESN condemns in the strongest terms the excessive use of force on unarmed protesters on the 1st of August 2018 resulting in the loss of at least six lives. ZESN urges the 5|Page