2. WHAT DO ELECTIONS MEAN TO ORDINARY CITIZENS? RESPONSES ADAPTED FROM CCJPZ ELECTION INTEGRITY SURVEY 2.1. Introduction Prior to 2018 Harmonized Elections, CCJPZ conducted an Election Integrity Survey that covered 627 (132 youths; 234 men and 261 women) respondents from the eight Catholic Dioceses of Zimbabwe as shown in the diagram below: Diagram 1: Age ranges of BVR respondents 2.2 Purpose of the Survey The purpose of the survey was to deepen the Church's understanding of citizens' feelings towards elections. The survey was also intended to provide CCJPZ with a framework for possible Church interventions and responses in assisting Zimbabwean men and women to independently and effectively participate in democratic processes. Data was collected using a combination of focused group discussions, interviews and listening surveys. 2.3 Guiding Questions The following questions guided the survey: ● What is the meaning or relevance of elections to citizens in contemporary Zimbabwe? ● How do citizens feel when they hear about elections? ● What meaning do elections have in people's lives? ● Why do some people vote and others don't? ● Why are the youth not participating in numbers? ● What (else) should be done for citizens to effectively participate in electoral processes? ● What kind of an election do people want or expect? 3