Youths group targets to register 3 million voters

Project Vote Zimbabwe, a group of youth volunteers, is targeting to assist at least three million young people to register as voters by 2023, an official said yesaterday.

“As Project Vote Zimbabwe, we are targeting to register more than three million voters, mainly youths across the country by the time 2023 general elections are held.

“We have taken it upon ourselves as the young people of Zimbabwe to help other young people to register to vote and participate in politics,” said the lobby group’s director, Youngerson Matete.

“We are aiming to promote youth participation in politics, not only as voters, but as leaders, hence our desire to promote youth participation in voter registration exercise.”

Matete said his team was working with local leaders across the country in assisting those without necessary documents to obtain identity documents that enabled them to register as voters.

The lobby group is moving around the country conducting voter education on registration to reduce voter apathy.

However, Matete bemoaned the few voter registration centres across the country and called for the decentralisation of the process.

“As Project Vote Zimbabwe, we are providing transport to those youths, who are willing to register to vote but do not have the means such as transport. We have taken it upon ourselves to provide transport services,” said Matete

Only a few registrations centres are open throughout the country after most were closed as a COVID-19 mitigatory measure.

According to 2018 figures by the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission, about two million youths did not vote in 2018.

Those ranging between ages 20 and 24 recorded the highest voter apathy.

With elections just 22 months away, the ruling Zanu PF and opposition MDC Alliance have set ambitious targets to register five and six million new voters respectively, mostly young and first time voters.