Reason for voting delays explained
The Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) has stated that voting delays and other difficulties experienced in Harare and Bulawayo for some local council polls yesterday were primarily due to legal challenges made in the run-up to the vote by political parties.
Voting delays occurred in some seats in Harare and Bulawayo, primarily due to a lack of ballot papers for the local government part of the vote.
These had yet to be distributed to polling locations in some areas since they were printed late due to the court battles that preceded Wednesday’s election.
However, ZEC stated that voters in impacted areas will not be prejudiced, and voting hours will be extended to compensate for the time lost.
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The Electoral Act makes it clear that if a polling station opens late for any poll then it must still stay open for 12 hours.
“This (delay in voting) has been the case with Harare and Bulawayo provinces. The public is advised that all polling stations that opened late for reasons beyond the control of the presiding officer will remain open to cater for the period of the delay, keeping in mind that the polling station must remain open for a continuous period of at least 12 hours on polling day,” it said in a statement.
“We urge all voters at polling stations where delays are being experienced to remain patient as we work tirelessly to ensure delivery of the required material so that they exercise their right to vote. ZEC implores all citizens of all political persuasions to continue to exercise tolerance and respect for each other so that we can collectively deliver a free, fair and credible election,” it added.
The one-day vote opened at 7am, and was due to close at 7pm. Over six million voters registered to take part in the election in which the electorate is choosing a president, and parliamentary and local government representatives.
