It is imperative for ZEC must rigorously enforce the relevant regulations of the Electoral Act to ensure the compliance of the State media as well as to afford all contesting political parties and candidates equitable and balanced access to the media. 8. ELECTION DAY OBSERVATIONS 8.1. Ballot papers Overall, the Commission complied with the threshold on number of ballot papers that can be printed in excess of the number of registered voters. 8.2. Voter turnout The Mutoko North Constituency voters’ roll that was availed by ZEC has a total of 23295 registered voters. On election day, ZEC indicated that 52.9% turned out to vote. The processing of voters by the polling officials including those with special needs was observed to be efficient in both Mutoko North and Chegutu East. In Mutoko North, there was low turnout of youth voters as most queues observed were predominantly made up of elderly women and men. The turnout in Chegutu East was relatively low. ZESN notes a reduction in turnout in both by-elections when compared to the 30 July Harmonised elections, in Mutoko North for example, ZANU PF and MDC Alliance received 34% and 58% respectively less votes than in July. 8.3. Assisted voters ZESN noted alarming statistics of assisted voters in the Mutoko North by-election. Most cases of assisted voting were on account of illiteracy. By close of polling, observer reports indicated that polling stations generally had an average of 20 to 25 assisted voters. As of midday, at Chitekwe Primary School Ward 12, 37 people had been assisted to vote while at Dzenga Primary School in Ward 1, 24 people had been assisted to vote, and 39 people had been assisted to vote out of 173 at Chindenga Primary School Ward 2. Only a few were assistance on account of being blind or visually impaired, with the majority of cases being on account of illiteracy and old age. At all polling stations where there were assisted voters, the majority were women and, in total, the number of female assisted voters far exceeds that of their male counterparts. Those who could be assisted by persons of their choice in voting were allowed to do so while due process was generally followed in assisting those who had not been accompanied by anyone to assist them to vote. 18