Own Correspondent

The Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (Zec) has set up rules to allow by-elections to be held safely during what it sees as a long-term Covid-19 pandemic,

Zec originally suspended voting during the lockdown, but now considers that the public health emergency is likely to be the “new normal” and so is putting in new voting rules. Under these rules, voters will check online to see if their names are on the voters roll, will be screened for temperature before entering a polling station, and will even have to bring their own pen to mark the ballot papers.

Meanwhile, Zec is ready for filling of proportional representation seats in the Senate and National Assembly, since there is no extra voting in this regard, the results of the 2018 election being used.

When the President of the Senate or the Speaker of the House of Assembly notifies the commission of a vacancy, this will be gazetted and the political party holding the seat will be invited to nominate a replacement.