Zec must embrace online voter registration

IN light of the COVID-19 pandemic and the impact it has had on the elections in Zimbabwe, it is time the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (Zec) accepts COVID-19 as the new normal and finds solutions in providing citizens alternative platforms, different from the norm, to exercise their constitutional rights and participate in electoral processes.

In order to vote, every Zimbabwean must register. Making registration secure, efficient and easily accessible by voters should be a goal for Zec.

Voter registration is a systematic process which determines the eligibility of citizens to vote in an election.

It serves three purposes, which are; to ensure that everyone eligible to vote can do so; prevent those not legally entitled to vote from voting and curb multiple voting by an individual.

Citizens should be allowed to register as a voter anytime they want by filling in the registration form and submitting biometric data to Zec voter registration officials, who capture the submitted data.

In 2017, Zec adopted a form of electronic registration model named biometric voter registration.

However, in recent times due to COVID-19, concerns around the safety of this process have been raised, which has shifted registration conversation to whether it is possible to adopt an online registration model for Zimbabwe to support the existing registration methods.

Online registration allows an individual to register using the internet which simplifies the registration process.

Online voter registration systems supplement the traditional registration process and follow essentially the same process, but instead of filling in a paper application, the voter fills in a form via an internet site, and that form is submitted electronically to election officials for approval.

In recent times banks, money transfer agents that is EcoCash introduced individual registration through online platforms.

In the short-term, a shift towards online registration overcomes the problems that have been present since the advent of COVID-19.

Online registration removes the need to physically present oneself at registration centres, and guarantees the protection of Zec registration officials, who through conventional registration methods sometimes interact with over 100 people per day.

Benefits of a change to online registration include that globally online registration has been deemed to be more accurate and easier to collate for election officials.

Online registration reaches an increasingly internet-savvy population, especially young Zimbabweans who have more and more become disenfranchised.

Additionally, in an environment where calls for accountability and transparency around voter registration and the voters’ roll are amplified as the country heads towards 2023, online registration makes updating registrations efficient, increasing election credibility and reducing Election day problems.

Globally, electronic and online registration systems have become commonplace, and can be implemented in a number of ways taking into consideration the specific needs of a particular country. Election Resource Centre