IRI/NDI Zimbabwe International Election Observation Mission Final Report 29 July 30 elections, the ZEC accredited 78 CSOs to conduct voter education, and, for the first time, established a call center for citizens to access voter information. Many civic groups stepped in to meet public demand and encouraged citizens to get-out-the-vote at numerous rallies, roadshows, and radio programs in the weeks preceding elections. However, the ZEC required all CSOs conducting voter education initiatives be accredited to distribute voter education information, potentially stymying the timely dissemination and diversity of material. With support from the Electoral Institute for Sustainable Democracy (EISA) and the United Nations Development Program (UNDP), the ZEC engaged in a robust voter education campaign and made concerted efforts to inform prospective voters about the voting process including deploying “voter educators” throughout the country. The ZEC used a variety of mediums including billboards, radio advertisements, Short Message Service (SMS), television, radio, and print media to disseminate targeted messages to various voter groups and, according to EISA, developed material in 13 local languages. Voter Educators in Bikita, Masvingo Province Photo by Peter Penar However, the ZEC conducted its voter education campaign just two weeks prior to Election Day, and ZIEOM observers noted that there was insufficient educational material disseminated about the secrecy of the ballot, among other inadequacies. Furthermore, ZEC’s dissemination process was marred by delays in releasing materials, inadequate distribution of materials for PWDs,35 opacity in the ballot design, and changing directives regarding the layout of the polling station, which potentially confused voters. While a few public forums were held to inform the electorate of the policy positions of particular parties, generally the campaign did not feature candidate debates or other events that allowed the public access to information about party or candidate policy positions. 35 Voter education material in Braille to accommodate the visually impaired existed, but it is unclear whether distribution of materials addressing the needs of blind voters reached its intended beneficiaries.