ZEC keeps 4 types of voters rolls

... But only one is used for elections


An election is a voters roll, yes but...

Which voters roll?

In keeping with the principle that the best politics is local, the Electoral Act rightly makes the polling station voters roll the only valid voters roll used for the three elections that make up Zimbabwe's harmonised general election: namely the local authority, parliamentary and presidential elections.

Yet quite often some political parties, NGOs and churches invest a lot of time and resources talking about and seeking access to copies of the national voters roll or constituency or sometimes ward voters rolls, and when they get such copies, especially in electronic form, they draw all sorts of conclusions from those voters rolls regarding the state of "the voters" and elections.

Consolidated National, Constituency or Ward Voters Rolls not for Polling in any Election
Section 20(4a) of the Electoral Act provides that:
The Commission may prepare and maintain, in printed or electronic form, a consolidated national voters roll and a consolidated voters roll for any constituency or ward, but such rolls shall not be used for the purposes of polling in any election.

So, while the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission may prepare and maintain – in printed or electronic form – national or constituency or ward voters rolls, it really does not have to; not least because such rolls shall not be used for the purpose of polling in any elections.

Because section 20(4a) of the Electoral Act is discretional, to say ZEC may prepare and maintain is not the same as saying it shall or must prepare and maintain such copies.

It is also notable that in terms of this section, the copies are not necessarily available in both printed and electronic form, but they maybe be in printed or electronic form.

Polling Station Voters Roll For Voting In Any Election

In terms of section 22A of the Electoral Act, only the polling station voters roll is used for the three elections that make up Zimbabwe's harmonised general election. The section provides as follows:

(1) The Commission shall—

(a) subject to section 51, determine—

(i) the places where polling stations are to be situated within each ward and constituency for the purposes of all elections in terms of this Act; and

(ii) the areas within the ward or constituency concerned that are to be served by each such polling station; and

(b) subject to Parts IV and V, prepare a voters roll for each polling station area determined in terms of paragraph (a)(ii), on which roll shall be entered the names of all registered voters ordinarily resident within the area.

Provided that where the estimated number of voters to be served by any polling station exceeds the number determined by the Commission to be manageable, the Commission may establish two or more independent polling stations to serve the same polling station area, and the voters' roll for that area shall be split between such polling stations accordingly.

(2) The Commission shall consult all interested parties when determining the location of polling stations and their areas for the purposes of subsection (1).

(3) Notwithstanding any other provision of this Act, where a voters roll has been prepared for a polling station area—

(a) voters who are registered on that roll shall cast their votes in any election at the polling station for whose area the roll was prepared, unless they are permitted by this Act to vote by post;

(b) the provisions of this Act applicable to or in respect of constituencies and wards, and constituency and ward voters rolls, shall apply, with any necessary changes, to or in respect of the polling station area and such voters roll.

Printed Copy Only Authentic Voters Roll

Given the interest that some political parties and NGOs have in researchable and analysable electronic copies of the voters roll, it's important to note that section 20(5) of the Electoral Act provides that:

In the event of any discrepancy between an electronic copy of a voters roll and a printed copy of a voters roll, the latter shall be deemed to be the authentic record of the voters roll.

This means that the printed copy of the voters roll is the best to research and analyse, because it is the only authentic copy.

Given the fact that the only voters roll used for elections is the polling station voters roll, then the only valid and useful copy of the voters roll is the printed copy of the polling station voters roll.

This affirms the dictum that the best politics is local!