ZEC in final big mobile voter registration drive, tables $130bn election budget

HARARE – Following the recent conclusion of the delimitation exercise, preparations for the 2023 elections will go a gear up on 12th March with the start of the final nationwide mobile biometric voter registration.

Before beginning various pre-election activities, such as making the voters’ roll available for public inspection, the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) will conduct a 10-day voter registration campaign that concludes on March 21.

President Mnangagwa gazetted the final delimitation report on February 20 this year.

ZEC has reportedly proposed a $130 billion budget for the elections, and Treasury is anticipated to begin allocating the funds.

ZEC is preparing for a comprehensive post-delimitation awareness campaign to clarify to the electorate the new electoral boundaries, according to the organization’s preliminary 2023 elections roadmap.

Other standard election processes will follow, including the accreditation of observers and the media, the production of the voter list, the creation of the nomination court, and the Multi-Party Liaison Committee.

However, registered voters will still have two days to register after President Mnangagwa announces the 2023 general election date.

ZEC revealed that a final election roadmap is being formulated and will be made public after President Mnangagwa announces the election date.

According to ZEC, a post-delimitation operation to make new electoral boundaries public is included in the roadmap for the preliminary elections.

“The programme will be multi-faceted and entail engaging various stakeholder groups, deployment of voter education officers, use of both print and electronic media and the use of the ZEC website and social media platforms,” it said.