Zimbabwe Electoral Commission closes postal votes

RECEIVING of postal votes applications for the August 23 harmonised elections ended on Wednesday 5 July at 12 PM, the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) has confirmed.

Last month the electoral body wrote to the Ministries of Foreign Affairs and International Trade, Home Affairs and Cultural Heritage as well as Defence and War Veterans Association inviting postal votes applications in compliance with section 72 of the Electoral Act which makes it explicitly clear that the only people who can vote by post are registered voters who, on polling day, will be unable to vote at their polling station because; they will be on duty as members of a disciplined force [i.e. police officers, prison officers or members of the Defence Forces] or as electoral officers [i.e. employees of ZEC on electoral duty or persons seconded to ZEC to perform electoral duties] they will be outside Zimbabwe in the service of the Government [normally as diplomatic or consular officials] or because they are married to such an official.

In a Twitter post yesterday, ZEC said: “Applications for postal votes are ending today 5 July 2023 at 12 PM for people on duty on election day (members of the disciplined forces, army and police, Electoral officers of those on duty in the service of the Government outside Zimbabwe, diplomats and their spouses).

“Persons who vote through postal vote neither vote at the polling station nor in the presence of polling staff and election agents.”