12. Accessibility
Electoral Regulations should provide for access to information pertaining to Voter
Registration centres and polling stations.
The Regulations should provide for accessibility of voter registration centres and
publicity of the new polling stations generated from the ongoing polling station
mapping by all registrants in particular persons living with disability who might have
challenges in accessing some of these sites.
Regulations should provide the specific timeframe within which political parties can
access the provisional and the final voters’ roll at all levels. The voters’ roll should be
made available at least three months before the election to allow for verification and
audits.
The Regulations should ensure access to copies of the voters’ rolls by all stakeholders
at a prescribed fee that is reasonable.
The polling station mapping exercise should be guided by the clear procedures in the
Regulations to ensure that voters do not have to walk or travel long distances to
access voter registration centres and polling stations.
The Regulations should provide reasons for increasing and decreasing polling
stations at ward, constituency, district and provincial levels.
13. Threshold of polling stations
The Regulations should specify the threshold of voters per registration centre which
will be used at the polling stations.
ZESN proposes that the maximum threshold be set at 1000 drawing lessons from the
recently held Zambian elections where the threshold was 850.
The Regulations should address the issue of highly populated areas and establish
polling streams to de-congest polling stations particularly in urban areas.
14. Voter education
Voter education ensures meaningful participation of citizens and the Regulations
must provide for clear voter education methodologies that ensure comprehensive
coverage for all Zimbabweans.
The Regulations should provide for clear roles of political parties, CSOs and the media
in the provision of continuous voter information and education for voter education
processes.
The Regulations should provide for clear coordination of the voter education
programmes by the aforementioned parties.
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Zimbabwe Election Support Network ©2016