Harare (New Ziana) – The Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) said on Tuesday it is finalising logistics for a nationwide Biometric Voter Registration (BVR) blitz as it steps up preparations for the March 26 by-elections.
The BVR blitz was initially scheduled for December, 2021 but ZEC postponed it to February this year following consultations with stakeholders.
ZEC said the deferment was meant to allow eligible prospective voters to acquire national identity cards which are a requisite for registering to vote.
Last week, President Emmerson Mnangagwa proclaimed the 26th of March this year as the date when by-elections would be held to fill vacant Parliamentary and local council seats countrywide.
By-elections are due in over 28 Parliamentary constituencies and 105 council wards, mostly necessitated by recalls of incumbents by the Douglas Mwonzora led opposition MDC-T.
The electoral management body said information on the BVR blitz would be published in local newspapers and disseminated through its official social media handles.
“Zec will share a comprehensive BVR blitz program with details on venues, BVR kits and duration to the public and stakeholders as soon as the logistics are finalised. This will be done province by province,” it said.
Meanwhile, Zec said it had already prepared voter education material in collaboration with its stakeholders.
It had also published a list of 76 civil society organizations it had approved to conduct voter education.
“Zec will continue with community radio programs for voter education where this information will also be disseminated,” it said.
“The material will be shared on digital platforms and hard copies distributed in communities. We are currently translating it into other languages.”
New Ziana