12 370 polling stations for 2023 elections

THE Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) has released a list of 12 370 preliminary polling stations that will be used during the August 23 harmonised elections.

Yesterday, ZEC presided over the National Council of Chiefs elections, marking the first stage of this year’s harmonised polls.

According to the polling stations’ schedule, released by the ZEC chief elections officer Mr Utloile Silaigwana, Bulawayo metropolitan province, which has 29 wards and 12 constituencies, will have 434 polling stations while Matabeleland North, which has 197 wards and 13 constituencies has 918 polling stations.

In Matabeleland South, there are 709 polling stations spread across its 168 wards. “It is hereby notified in terms of section 51(3) of the Electoral Act [Chapter 2:13] that the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission has identified 12 370 polling stations where polling will take place on Wednesday 23 August 2023 in the harmonized elections,” read the statement.

“The polling stations shall be located at the centres specified in the schedule. Polling shall take place from 7am to 7pm for the purpose of electing the State President, members of the National Assembly and councillors.”

The Act states that every polling station shall be located in a place that is readily accessible to the public, including persons with physical disabilities.

It also says no polling station shall be located on premises owned or occupied by a political party or candidate, in a police station, barracks, cantonment area, or other place where police officers or members of the Defence Forces are permanently stationed.

In Bulawayo, Cowdray Park constituency with three wards, has 43 polling stations, the highest number in the province while Emakhandeni-Luveve constituency has the lowest number with 30 polling stations.

Bulawayo South has 39 polling stations while Bulawayo North and Bulawayo Central have 38 polling stations each.
Entumbane-Njube has 33 polling stations, Lobengula-Magwegwe has 37 polling stations and Mpopoma-Mzilikazi has 35.
Nketa has 36 polling stations, the same as Nkulumane while Pelandaba-Tshabalala has 32 polling stations and Pumula has 38.

In Matabeleland North, Tsholotsho North has 83 polling stations, the largest in the province while Binga North and Binga South have 66 and 73 polling stations respectively.

Bubi has 77 polling stations, Hwange Central 46, Hwange East 81 and Hwange West 61. Lupane East and Lupane West have 69 and 92 polling stations respectively while Nkayi North has 60 and Nkayi South 59.

Tsholotsho South and Umguza have 82 and 79 polling stations respectively and in Matabeleland South the constituency with the largest number of polling stations is Bulilima with 76, Beitbridge West has 52, Gwanda North has 61 and Gwanda South 52.

Gwanda-Tshitaudze has 56, Insiza North and Insiza South have 55 and 57 polling stations respectively, Mangwe has 72, Matobo and Matobo-Mangwe constituencies have 57 and 55 polling stations respectively while Umzingwane has 65.
The electoral process started in June with ZEC announcing the opening of postal votes which closed yesterday. The National Council of Chiefs yesterday held its elections at different venues across the country.