recent development in the state’s electoral law, forming part of a series of constitutional and electoral reforms in 1997. The 1997 amendment of the Electoral Act allow non-resident citizens to vote in national elections every five years. External voting procedures follow the same procedure as registration and voting within the country. External voters may register at Botswana embassies and high commissions abroad and in major cities and centers in countries where they are expected to be an eligible voter population. External registration is normally administered by Botswana mission staff under the supervision of the IEC. Since 1989 Namibia has allowed nonresident citizens to vote in parliamentary and presidential polls. Approximately 24 different polling stations have been provided abroad for non-resident citizens to cast their votes. In 2004 approximately 1900 voters abroad participated in the parliamentary and presidential elections, averaging at about 80 per polling station. In South Africa, since 15th April 2009 thousands of its citizens living outside the country managed to cast their vote in their respective local embassies. This was after a successful court process in which the Constitutional Court ordered the independent Electoral Court to make sure that they be enabled to do so. Disadvantages Absentee voting often takes place outside a controlled voting environment and without the presence of observers. There is therefore increased scope for fraudulent practices. Electors who benefit from special voting procedures, such as soldiers or persons with illness, can be particularly vulnerable to intimidation from persons in authority. Further concerns may arise relating to the security and integrity of ballots cast outside of a controlled environment. For example, there are increased opportunities for fraud and manipulation in postal voting Recommendations • Safeguards should be put in place to ensure that the secrecy of ballots of absentee voters is maintained. • No absentee vote is counted before the close of polling day. • When postal-voting, safeguards should be in place to promote the secrecy of the ballot (e.g. a double envelope). • Special measures should be in place to ensure the security of ballot boxes in relation to early voting. • With regards to postal voting, the ballots should be distributed in sufficient time to ensure that they can be returned by day of elections. • Observers may be allowed to accompany the mobile ballot box where mobile voting will be taking place. Diaspora Voting • To ensure diaspora participation in the national electoral system, the diaspora must seek legal reforms that enable it to attain dual or multiple citizenship status. A diaspora voting system akin to those used in South Africa and Botswana. The new constitution that will evolve out of the Article Six constitutional making process should provide not only for the option of dual citizenship but also the diaspora vote. • The new electoral commission should have a specific department that focuses mainly on administering the diaspora vote. This department will work mainly in partnership with the nation’s various embassies and diaspora based CSOs to conduct voter registrations and civic education programs. Voters shall at first be given the option of choosing their own local constituency in Zimbabwe during the time of registration. • In the long term, there must be efforts to also create diaspora based constituencies in specific countries and cities to which the diaspora voters will be registered at and also alert their own representatives in the national legislature. • Voting shall be in person by secret ballot at the identified elections centers across the diaspora. Later, options of postal and proxy voting together with that of electronic voting shall also be given serious consideration. • The diaspora elections shall be held at least a week before the national ones and the sealed boxes be flown over to Zimbabwe well on time. • To set in motion the Diaspora Vote Agenda, various options such as Litigation in which those in Diaspora petition the country’s courts seeking an order compelling the government to allow them to vote. Article Six of the GPA can also be explored to provide for the roadmap to a process of adopting a new democratic constitution for Zimbabwe. Those in Diaspora can also form a Global Zimbabwe Forum which should act as an authoritative international voice and platform for all the representative organizations and networks of the Zimbabwean Diaspora Community.