ZEC clarifies ballot printing procedures

Farirai Machivenyika Senior Reporter

All ballot papers for next Wednesday’s polls have been printed and the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission yesterday published details of the numbers printed and who printed them.

The details were published by ZEC chief elections officer, Mr Utloile Silaigwana, in terms of the Electoral Act.

ZEC said 7 126 600 ballot papers were printed for the presidential election, 7 098 750 for National Assembly elections while 6 861 650 ballot papers were printed for council elections, slightly lower since 91 candidates won without having to undergo a contest.

The election for the National Assembly Gutu West seat had to be postponed so there are slightly fewer Assembly ballots than Presidential ballots. The ballots were printed by the Minting and Printing Company of Zimbabwe.

ZEC calculated a 3 percent contingency for each polling station.

“The number of ballot papers printed for each of the three elections is different because; with respect to the National Assembly election, an independent candidate for Gutu West National Assembly constituency passed away and the election will be held at a later date, with respect to the local authority election, no election will be held in 91 wards because the candidates for those wards were returned unopposed while four candidates passed away and the elections will be conducted on a later date,” said Mr Silaigwana.

ZEC also published a list of the 12 374 polling stations distributed as follows; Bulawayo Metropolitan 434, Harare Metropolitan 1 559, Manicaland 1 623, Mashonaland Central 1 107, Mashonaland East 1 420, Mashonaland West 1 507, Masvingo 1 416, Matabeleland North 920, Matabeleland South 721 and Midlands 1 667.

Every polling station will see voting for the President. On Wednesday, ZEC chairperson Justice Priscilla Chigumba said 6 623 511 people had been registered to vote in the elections.

The harmonised elections will see 11 candidates contesting the presidential elections, 518 National Assembly constituency candidates sponsored by political parties and 64 independent candidates contesting the 209 seats that will be directly elected on Wednesday, with 4 648 local authority candidates sponsored by political parties while 266 are independent.