6. VOTER REGISTER 6.1. Voter Registration and inspection of the voters’ roll Effective voter registration is an important means of ensuring that the right to vote is protected. Voter registration is one means of promoting inclusive voting processes, while at the same time safeguarding against ineligible people. Section 155 (2) (a) provides for the government to take all measures and ensure that all eligible citizens, that is to say the citizens qualified under the Fourth Schedule 3, are registered as voters. ZEC conducted voter registration and voters’ roll inspection exercise. This was a special exercise that catered for the Mudzi West by-election only. The dates set for the exercises were in accordance with Section 26A of the Electoral Act which stipulates that the 12 th day after nomination day is the last day for lodging a claim for registration on or transfer of registration to a voters’ roll for the purpose of voting in a pending election. Voters’ roll inspection was conducted from 19-23 June 2015, in accordance with the Law. Voters were able to inspect the voters’ roll in the 22 inspection centres located throughout the constituencies. 6.2. Provision of the Voters’ Roll According to Section 21 (1) of the Electoral Act, the Commission shall within a reasonable period of time provide any person who requests it, and who pays the prescribed fee, with a copy of any ward or constituency voters’ roll, either in printed or in electronic form as the person may request. The Electoral law also provides for provision of the voters’ roll upon payment of a prescribed fee to every party that intends to contest the election, and to any accredited observer who requests it, one copy of every voters’ roll to be used in the election, either in printed or in electronic form as the party or observer may request. The provision of the voters’ roll to stakeholders has been an issue of contention, raising questions on its integrity and credibility. The 2013 electronic version of the voters’ roll has not been given to stakeholders as the Registrar- General’s office has been faced with alleged technical problems of replicating the roll. For this by-election, the Commission has made available copies of the constituency rolls to all the contesting candidates. This will go a long way in building confidence and trust in the running and management of elections amongst stakeholder and the ZEC. However, ZESN remains concerned that the electronic voters’ rolls that are given to stakeholders are in a ‘non-readable format’ making the voters’ rolls very difficult to analyse. Consequently political parties are not able to effectively discharge their duty of assisting the Commission in the cleaning up of the voters’ roll, by identifying irregularities within the 3 The Fourth Schedule of the Constitution contains qualifications and disqualifications for registration as a voter. A person is disqualified on grounds of mental disorder, if they are incapable of managing their own affairs or has been convicted of an electoral offence. 10 | P a g e