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This article participates on the following special index pages:
2008 harmonised elections - Index of articles
ZESN
commends ZEC on release of polling stations; urges corrections and
increase in number
Zimbabwe Election Support Network (ZESN)
March 10, 2008
The Zimbabwe Election Support Network (ZESN) commends the Zimbabwe
Electoral Commission (ZEC) on the recent publication of the list
of polling stations, which appeared in the Saturday 08 March edition
of The Herald. This information is critical for registered voters
to know where they will vote on Election Day.
"The ZEC's
publication of the list of polling stations is an important and
positive step. However, the list contains significant errors and
relatively few polling stations in Bulawayo and Harare provinces.
ZESN encourages the ZEC to rectify these issues so that everyone
who wishes to vote has a reasonable opportunity to do so on. It
would be unfortunate if the problem of too few polling stations
in these provinces in 2002 is repeated", comments ZESN Board
Chairperson Mr Noel Kututwa.
ZESN notes that
the polling station information for Matabeleland North appears to
be scrambled - with polling stations located in the wrong
constituency. For example, Victoria Pre-School polling station is
listed in Ward 1 of Binga Rural District Council (RDC). Actually
the polling station is in Victoria Falls Municipality. This is just
one of many such errors for the province. ZESN encourages the ZEC
to urgently print a corrected list of polling stations to ensure
that all registered voters know their polling stations on Election
Day.
Further, ZESN
notes that there is a significant discrepancy in the number of registered
voters per polling station for different provinces. There should
be some variation, but the number of registered voters per polling
station in Bulawayo and Harare is more than twice that of the other
provinces (see table below). The situation is similar in Gweru and
Mutare municipalities where the average number of register voters
per polling station is 1,234.8 and 1,277.3 respectively. As a result,
the average voter in Harare province will need to be processed in
22 seconds and some cases in as little as 9 seconds (Chitungwiza
Ward 2 - 9,281 registered voters and 2 polling stations).
The average number of voters should be consistent by both constituency
and ward. ZESN encourages the ZEC to increase the number of polling
stations in Bulawayo and Harare provinces as well as other urban
centres so that all Zimbabweans have a reasonable opportunity to
vote on 29 March.
| Province |
Registered
Voters |
Polling
Stations |
Average
Number of Registered Voters per Polling Station |
Assembly
Constituencies |
Average
Number of Registered Voters per Assembly Constituency |
| Bulawayo |
313,459
|
207 |
1,514.3 |
12 |
26,121.6 |
| Harare |
766,478
|
379 |
2,022.4 |
29 |
26,430.3 |
| Manicaland |
709,664
|
1,150 |
617.1 |
26 |
27,294.8 |
| Mashonaland
Central |
448,477
|
774 |
579.4 |
18 |
24,915.4 |
| Mashonaland
East |
624,630
|
1,038 |
601.8 |
23 |
27,157.8 |
| Mashonaland
West |
582,989
|
1,100 |
530.0 |
22 |
26,499.5 |
| Masvingo |
699,199
|
1,202 |
581.7 |
26 |
26,892.3 |
| Matebeleland
North |
345,264
|
545 |
633.5 |
13 |
26,558.8 |
| Matebeleland
South |
342,280
|
528 |
648.3 |
13 |
26,329.2 |
| Midlands |
739,510
|
1,289 |
573.7 |
28 |
26,411.1 |
| Total |
5,571,950 |
8,212 |
|
210 |
|
ZESN urges all registered
voters to go out and vote on 29 March. Zimbabwean people should
remember that their vote is their right and they should ensure that
that democracy prevails by playing their part in the harmonized
elections.
Visit the ZESN
fact
sheet
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