ZIMBABWEANS turning 18 years of age will soon be automatically included on the voters’ roll under a new voter registration system set to be introduced before the next elections in 2028, our Harare Bureau has learnt.
The Government is presently drafting an omnibus Constitutional Amendment Bill proposing significant changes to the country’s electoral framework, including shifting the responsibility of voter registration from the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) to the Civil Registry Department (CRD).
Under the proposed system, the CRD will become the custodian of the voters’ roll, allowing the department to use personal and biometric data it collects when citizens apply for civic documents such as national identity (ID) cards to automatically register eligible voters.
Zimbabwean citizens can apply for a national ID card at 16 but are only eligible to vote once they turn 18.
Once registered, voters will be assigned to a specific polling station based on the residential address used to apply for their ID card.
However, if a person changes their address after obtaining an ID card, they can update it before registration to ensure they are assigned to the correct polling station.
The law requires voters to be assigned to a polling station based on their registered residential address.
Additionally, the Registrar-General’s Office will automatically remove names of deceased individuals from the voters’ roll once a death certificate is issued in their name, helping to streamline the process and keep the list updated.
In an interview with our Harare Bureau, Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ziyambi Ziyambi said: “The proposal is to transfer the role of voter registration to the Registrar-General’s Office, which maintains records from birth to death. This would allow for an automated voter registration process based on the data available.”
He added: “The system we want is one where once one turns 18, the Department of Civil Registry, using their records, will inform them that they are now eligible to vote.
“The system should also say if you do not respond to their notification within two weeks or so, they will presume that your listed residential address is where you want to be registered as a voter.
“So, you will then be registered automatically using your given address.
“So, we are planning on rolling out a system where we can actually have an automatic registration of voters.”
The automated system, Minister Ziyambi said, will also handle updates to the voters’ register, including removing names of deceased individuals from the roll.
The streamlined approach, which reportedly enjoys broad support, including from the opposition, reduces redundancy in electoral management.
“Additionally, this system will facilitate automatic voter roll updates, such as the removal of deceased individuals upon issuance of a death certificate,” he said.
“This approach is both efficient and has broad support, including from the opposition.
“So, it’s a much neater and progressive way of doing it. And it is something that is not in dispute.”
The proposed Amendment Bill, he added, will incorporate input from various stakeholders to ensure it reflects diverse perspectives.
“The party (Zanu-PF) may have specific issues they also want considered, and once we assess whether these require constitutional or statutory amendments, we will act accordingly,” Minister Ziyambi said.
“Broadly speaking, the need for these amendments stems from feedback received in Parliament, from party conferences and from various stakeholders.
“As the Ministry of Justice, with responsibility for law-making and policy research, we have engaged the Law Development Commission to help develop and refine these changes.”
Minister of Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs, Ziyambi Ziyambi
In addition to voter registration, the amendments propose revoking ZEC’s role in delimiting constituency boundaries.
The Government is considering returning this duty to an independent commission, a system that existed before 2009.
Minister Ziyambi said taking away delimitation responsibilities from ZEC would streamline election management and better integrate the voters’ roll with civil registry records.
“Some of these proposals are already public, including the plan to remove the duty of undertaking the delimitation exercise from ZEC.
“We believe this change will streamline election management and address logistical challenges, such as integrating the voters’ roll with the civil registry.”
The proposed amendments stem from recommendations made by Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) legislators during the Ninth Parliament ahead of last year’s harmonised elections.
Their contributions were made during debate on amending the Electoral Act.
The opposition legislators advocated the restoration of voter registration responsibilities to the RG’s Office.
Source: Sunday News