IRI/NDI Zimbabwe International Election Observation Mission Final Report 23 ZEC organized an event for political parties and observers to witness the printing of ballots, the event did not provide an adequate level of transparency to ensure confidence in the process. For example, ZIEOM observers noted that when attending the “balloting printing observation” event on June 29, ballot printing had already commenced and there was not full visibility into the process. On July 28, the ZEC issued a notice that included the list of polling stations, the number of registered voters, and the total number of ballot papers printed per polling station. Notably, and marking an improvement over past elections, the ZEC printed the minimum 3 percent more contingency ballots than the voting population for the 2018 elections, whereas during the 2013 elections, 35 percent more contingency ballots were printed than the voting population (6.4 million).16 The ZEC refused the opposition’s requests to test the quality of the indelible ink used on Election Day to mark voters’ fingers to prevent multiple voting, as well as requests to audit the security safeguards built into the production of the ballot papers. The no-bid contracts awarded for procurement of such sensitive materials also eroded confidence in ZEC’s ability to administer credible elections. When presented with these concerns, the ZEC often fell back on a narrow interpretation of its legal authority without appreciating the steps required to overcome distrust emanating from Zimbabwe’s long history of seriously flawed elections. Postal voting was another point of contention for which the ZEC failed to provide an adequate response. By law, postal voting was made available to police, diplomats, and others on official duty. By June 28, the ZEC had received some 7,800 postal vote applications, which represented 0.13 percent of total registered voters. The ZEC rejected 200 applications because the applicants were not on the voters roll or incorrectly submitted their requests. Controversy emerged when police officers were reported to be postal voting in “groups” at various police stations.17 As the ZEC had not informed parties and observers that the postal voting process was underway, nor explained the procedures associated with this process, there was an immediate outcry that the process compromised the secrecy of the vote and was clearly demonstrative of the ZEC’s lack of transparency. The High Court of Mutare dismissed a petition by the MDC Alliance seeking to nullify postal voting that had taken place in Bulawayo on the basis that the MDC Alliance had failed to submit evidence that police officers had been forced to cast their votes in the presence of their superiors in violation of the Electoral Act. Direction from the ZEC on the orientation of the voting booths was also an issue. Originally, the ZEC decided to position the voting booths so that officials could ensure that voters were not taking pictures of their ballots, which could then be used as part of a vote-buying scheme. However, when presented with information and concerns from civil society and political party stakeholders that the proposed orientation of voting booths could compromise the secrecy of the vote, the ZEC reversed their decision and reinstated the more traditional polling station layout. From an operational standpoint, there were large gaps in the ZEC’s capacity and, more importantly, in its willingness to promote transparency, accountability, and stakeholder confidence. At times, the ZEC (and by extension Justice Chigumba) adopted a reclusive and defensive posture when faced with criticism and feedback. An acknowledgement of election irregularities in the country’s recent past and the adoption of a robust engagement strategy that emphasized transparency for all stakeholders might have tempered much of the criticism. Whether it was the 16 ZEC printed 6,150,950 ballots for the presidential and national assembly for 5,695,706 registered voters and 6,036,250 local authority ballot papers were printed for 5,590,044 registered voters. 17 Majoni, Tawanda. “Postal Votes Scam and Forgotten Postman,” The Standard. July 15, 2018. https://www. thestandard.co.zw/2018/07/15/postal-votes-scam-forgotten-postman/