will only be of relevance if parliament has not already been dissolved prior to an election. This is a further indication that the delimitation exercise should be carried out well before elections take place. It is clear therefore that the Bill does not adequately deal with the danger that gerrymandering can take place during the process of delimitation. Registration of Voters and Voters’ Rolls As indicated above, the Commission will be responsible for maintaining voters’ rolls while the Registrar-General will retain responsibility for registering voters. This seems a recipe for confusion. Registration of voters Registration will be continuous, with citizens entitled to apply for enrolment at any time. 16 Rolls will not be regarded as closed for new registrations in any election until the day before nomination day in the election concerned.17 By and large these are commendable changes, but their effectiveness will depend on how quickly the Registrar-General’s office can process applications for registration; past experience makes one doubt the office’s capacity in that regard. Persons who claim registration on a particular roll will be able to produce any satisfactory documentary evidence reasonably proving where they live18. This is a welcome change because at present the Act makes the process of establishing residence difficult, and this would cause problems for people displaced by the farm invasions or “Operation Murambatsvina”. Copies of voters’ rolls The Commission will be obliged to provide, on payment of a fee, one electronic copy of a voters roll to each political party contesting an election.19 The copy will have to be provided within seven days after the calling of the election concerned, which means that the copy will never be entirely up to date since as indicated above —additional voters may be registered until the day before nomination day in the election. Printed copies of voters’ rolls will be made available to interested parties on payment of a reasonable fee.20 (It may be noted that there is no requirement that the fee for the electronic copy of the roll must be reasonable). It is not clear why the Bill requires the Commission to provide printed copies of voters roll on request at any time, while its obligation to provide electronic copies is restricted to the period after an election has been called. If voter registration is continuous and the rolls are stored electronically, they should be available at any time in both printed and electronic form. Checking of voters rolls There is provision for voters’ rolls to be checked by voters and the general public,21 but neither the Bill nor the Act requires an independent audit of the rolls. This is a serious defect in view of the chaotic state of voters rolls prepared for previous elections. It should be noted, however, 16 Clause 19 of the Bill. 17 Clause 23 of the Bill. 18 See the new definition of “proof of residence” inserted in the Act by clause 16 of the Bill. 19 Clause 21 of the Bill. 20 Clause 21 of the Bill. 21 See clauses 21 and 65 of the Bill. 9