IRI/NDI Zimbabwe International Election Observation Mission Final Report 55 Align domestic law with the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities85 to ensure the right of all citizens to participate in political life. Foster a national debate regarding the issue of voting by Zimbabweans living outside the country. This debate should incorporate the experiences of other countries that have recently considered this issue. Elections Management and Administration Ensure ballot design and production is consistent with legal and regulatory framework. The presidential ballot is required by law to be arranged alphabetically, and regulations require that the candidates’ names appear in a single column. The ZEC must ensure that ballot design is within the law and that changes to the design of the ballot are done in a consultative, transparent manner and do not provide a clear advantage to any single candidate. The ZEC should also permit the meaningful observation of ballot printing, storage, and distribution processes. Prohibit the misuse of assisted voting. While actions to record instances of assisted voting to allow for an assistant of the voter’s choice were positive developments in the 2018 elections, challenges to the secrecy of the vote and concerns over misuse of the accommodation remain. The ZEC should review and refine the regulations and procedures for assisted voting to limit the practice to very specific circumstances (such as for the visually-impaired) where assisted voting is permitted. Develop an ongoing, comprehensive voter education strategy. Voter education efforts conducted by the ZEC must incorporate and liberalize its regulation of the complementary efforts of civil society to educate citizens on their rights and responsibilities in a participatory democracy. The ZEC should refine the regulations governing voter literacy such that education initiatives are implemented on a continual basis and in line with international covenants on citizens’ right to information, including access for those who are disabled or illiterate.86 Clarify and publicize the process for voting for those on official duty on Election Day. The ZEC should ensure that the process for voting, before or on Election Day, by individuals required to be on official duty (i.e. police, election workers, diplomats, and other government officials) are clearly outlined, including publicizing timelines and processes for requesting and completing postal ballots. Provide data on participation of marginalized groups in electoral processes. To increase participation by marginalized populations and to address barriers to electoral participation, the ZEC should systematically collect and publicly release data on the participation of men, women, youth, and disabled voters in the electoral process including voters, candidates, poll workers, observers, and party agents. Results Management Adopt and publicize transparent procedures for the tabulation, transmission, and announcement of results. In order to enhance public confidence in the transmission and tabulation process, the ZEC should articulate the results management process in a fully 85 Zimbabwe acceded to the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities in 2013, but no legislation has been introduced to align Zimbabwe’s Disabled Persons Act with commitments in the Convention. 86 ICCPR Article 19; ICCPR GC 25m Article 12; ACHPR Article 9; SADC Principles and Guidelines Governing Democratic Elections, Article 4.1.10