By Dorrothy Moyo| The Zimbabwe Electoral Commission’s boss has said that postal votes that were cast in Bulawayo last week remain valid and cannot be nullified unless there is evidence of electoral malpractice that warrants their cancellation.

“Unless we actually have evidence that somebody was intimidated or forced to exercise the postal vote against their will. So my preliminary answer will be ‘yes’ they will be valid unless there is evidence of electoral malpractice around the exercise of that postal vote,” said Justice Chigumba.

She comtinued saying postal voting was optional and applicants were free to withdraw and present themselves to a polling station.

“Around the issue of validity of the postal vote. For those people who have been asked to use the postal vote it was firstly out of concern, with particular regards to ZRP they will be posted to do duties on polling day outside their polling stations, so this was the rationale. Instead of denying them their right to vote because of deployment, why can’t we utilise the postal vote? I encourage those who are not willing to exercise postal vote to simply decline and present themselves to their polling station on polling day,” she added.