Claim: Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) is instructing presiding officers not to display results outside of the polling stations before they are sent to Harare.
Verdict: Incorrect
The Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) has dismissed the messages as fake.
“In terms of the law, the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) will post all election results outside Polling stations, Ward collation centres, Constituency collation centres, as well as the National collation centre, contrary to fake statements circulating on social media,” ZEC said in a statement.
“The public is being urged to desist from circulating fake news that may cause alarm and despondency as the country heads for the Harmonised Elections on 23 August 2023.”
What does the law say about the procedures After counting at polling stations?
According to the Electoral Act section 64 which speaks about procedures after counting at a polling station. Subsection (1) states that after the counting is completed the presiding officer shall without delay, in the presence of such candidates and their election agents as are present (e) affix a copy of the polling-station return on the outside of the polling station so that it is visible to the public and shall ensure that it remains there so that all members of the public who wish to do so may inspect it and record its contents.
Section 64(2) reads: “Immediately after affixing a polling station return on the outside of the polling station in terms of subsection (1)(e), the presiding officer shall personally transmit to the ward elections officer for the ward in which the polling station is situated.”
Section 65 talks about procedures on receipt of polling-station returns at ward centre.
“(1) Either before or as soon as possible after receiving polling-station returns transmitted in terms of section 64, a ward elections officer shall give reasonable notice in writing to—(a) each candidate or his or her chief election agent; and
(b) each political party whose party-list candidates are contesting the election in the ward; and (c) such observers as can readily be contacted; of the time when the ward elections officer will verify and collate the polling-station returns at the ward centre and count the postal votes.”
Subsection (65) (6) (b) says the ward elections officer shall ensure that a copy of the ward return is displayed prominently outside the ward centre so that all members of the public who wish to do so may inspect it and record its contents.
In addition, 65A talks about the procedure on receipt of ward returns at the constituency centre. Subsection 3(b) states that a constituency election officer shall ensure that a copy of the constituency return is displayed prominently outside the constituency centre so that all members of the public who wish to do so may inspect it and record its contents.
Meanwhile, 65B talks about the Procedure on receipt of constituency returns at provincial command centre.
“(4)The provincial elections officer shall and (b)ensure that a copy of the provincial return is displayed prominently outside the constituency centre so that all members of the public who wish to do so may inspect it and record its contents.” reads the Act.
Section 65 (b) (5) states that immediately after causing a copy of the provincial return to be displayed outside the provincial command centre, the provincial elections officer shall cause the return, certified by himself or herself to be correct, to be transmitted to the National Command Centre.
