     ZESN was concerned about the heavy deployment of the police in Harare’s Ward 12. While each polling station was manned by at least 5 police officers, the deployment of the riot police at Stodart Hall seemed unwarranted. ZESN observed different application of the law when it came to the place of the police officer. In some stations, the presiding officers called the police officer to be inside the polling station and in some cases, the police men were stationed outside the polling station and they would come inside the station when called in by the presiding officer. ZESN calls for uniformity of application of electoral laws. This is a similar problem that occurred during the harmonized elections of 2013. ZESN observed confusion regarding the manner of assisted voters. This is similar to the problems that took place regarding assisted voters in the harmonized elections of 2013. ZESN observers have noted that even when a voter who needs assistance has brought in a person of their choice to assist, the presiding officer was present which eroded the secrecy of the vote. ZESN is of the view that if the assisted voter is sighted, they can see the candidate of their choice and indicate their preference using an X or even ink. Failure to write cannot mean inability to see the symbol of your party or the face of your candidate. Once a person can see the candidate of their choice they can mark their intention on the candidate of their choice thereby preserving the secrecy of their choice. In some cases ZESN observed cases where people who had voted in the harmonized election in these polling stations could not find their names in the voters’ roll and were therefore barred from voting. This brings questions on which voters roll is being used for this by-election. Of concern was the procedure of showing the ballot paper to the presiding officer after casting a vote. This system was done away with using the Electoral Amendment Act of 2013 which prescribed that the voter did not have to show the seal to the Presiding Officer but simply place their ballot paper in the box after voting. ZESN noted that in almost all polling stations, the voters would show their ballot paper to the presiding officer after voting. This raises issues of voter education on the part of the electorate and training on the part of the presiding officer who did not correct this practice. Counting Counting in all polling stations took place according to procedures and votes were displayed outside the polling stations. All party agents agreed that the process had gone well and signed the V11 form. Results In all the wards, ZANU PF councilors won the seats. The table below shows the results of the byelections. 9|Page