ZESN - Promoting Democratic Elections in Zimbabwe Recommendation 4. Election Administration 4.1 Ensure transparency in ballot paper designing and printing by engaging with electoral stakeholders. 4.2 Ensure that postal voting adheres to the principles of free choice and secrecy of the vote. 4.3 Special vote should be re-instated to ensure that those unable to vote on election day are not disenfranchised. 4.4 Facilitate easier accreditation process by removing the requirement for accreditation fees to be paid as well as the requirement for observers to physical present themselves at accreditation centers. 4.5 Where extra polling stations are added towards an election, ZEC should widely publicize them. 4.6 Election administration should conform to open data principles. ZEC needs to establish an effective communication strategy. 4.7 ZEC should publish audit reports on expenditure on elections administration. Recommendation 5. Voter Education 5.1 Voter education should be linked to the secrecy of the ballot and other misinformation by electoral stakeholders. 5.2 Voter education should be provided on a continuous basis and expand reach to institutions of higher learning and secondary schools and to target first-time voters 5.3 Voter education should deliberately emphasise the importance of other elections, apart from the presidential election, particularly local government elections. Recommendation 6. Political Parties, Campaigns, Regulation of campaign finance 6.1 Political parties should comprehensively deploy agents to observe key electoral processes. 6.2 There is need for regulation of political parties. 6.3 6.4 6.5 Enforce the Traditional Leaders Act and Constitutional provisions on neutrality of traditional leaders. The law should provide for disclosure and audits of parties sources and use of campaign funding. Make Multi-Party Liaison Committees a permanent feature in Zimbabwe's electoral processes. Purpose Targeted Institutions To increase confidence in electoral processes. The Zimbabwe Electoral Commission To ensure right to vote in secrete is not compromised. The Zimbabwe Electoral Commission To ensure secrecy of the vote. To simplify the observer accreditation process. Parliament of Zimbabwe, The Zimbabwe Electoral Commission The Zimbabwe Electoral Commission To enhance transparency in the electoral process. The Zimbabwe Electoral Commission To enhance transparency in the electoral process. The Zimbabwe Electoral Commission To ensure transparency in elections administration. The Zimbabwe Electoral Commission Purpose Targeted Institutions To enhance effectiveness of electoral education initiatives. The Zimbabwe Electoral Commission Accredited Civil Society Organizations The Zimbabwe Electoral Commission To inculcate a culture of citizen participation in electoral processes. To increase the informed participation of the electorate in often underappreciated but critical elections. The Zimbabwe Electoral Commission, political parties, Civil Society Organisations. Purpose Targeted Institutions To enhance transparency of electoral processes. Political Parties To enhance intra-party democracy, importantly during the primary elections. To make the political playing field more even. Parliament, The Zimbabwe Electoral Commission The Zimbabwe Human Rights Commission (ZHRC) To make the political playing field more even. The Zimbabwe Electoral Commission To strengthen alternative dispute resolution mechanisms. The Zimbabwe Electoral Commission Political Parties 68 REPORT ON THE 30 JULY 2018 HARMONISED ELECTIONS ZESN