The Electoral Commission of Zambia will start conducting the Continuous Registration of Voters on 1st June, 2022. See here
The Commission will implement the continuous voter registration exercise (CVR) in ten (10) Districts and progressively to all the districts across the Country; The Ten Districts are: Choma, Mongu, Solwezi, Kasama, Kabwe, Lusaka, Ndola, Mansa, Chipata and Chinsali.
A Registration Centre will be set-up in each of the 10 Districts.
The Constitution of Zambia (Amendment) Act No.2 of 2016 in Article 46 provides for eligible citizens to register as voters. This is provided for in Article 46 which states that;
”A citizen who has attained the age of eighteen years is entitled to be registered as a voter and vote in an election by secret ballot”.
Registration of voters is the process where eligible citizens make application to be included on the register of voters for the purpose of voting in an election. Section seven (7) of the Electoral Process Act No. 35 of 2016 mandates the Commission to conduct Continuous Voter Registration.
Voter registration requirements
- 18 years and above
- Zambian citizen in possession of a green National Registration Card
Categories of voter registrations
New registration
- This covers persons who are registering for the FIRST time who are 18 years and above in possession of a green National Registration Card.This covers persons who are registering for the FIRST time who are 18 years and above in possession of a green National Registration Card.
Transfer from one polling station to another
- This type of registration covers voters applying for a transfer to another polling station.
Documents Required for Transfer
- Green National Registration Card
- Voter’s card
Correction of clerical errors
- This category covers persons whose registration details have clerical errors. These clerical errors may be names, National Registration Card number, and Voter’s Card number which may have typing errors, wrong portrait or any other details on the Voters card.
Documents required for correction of clerical errors
- Persons are required to surrender the Voters card that has clerical errors to the Registration Officer in order to have their details corrected
- If an Voters card is not surrendered, a new one will not be issued.
Replacement of Voters Cards
This type of registration covers voters whose voter’s cards are lost, destroyed, damaged or defaced. The voter shall provide a police report under the following circumstances:
- When a voter’s card is lost.
- When a voter’s card is destroyed and the voter is not in possession of it.
Removal of the deceased Voters
This covers citizens applying for the removal of deceased persons from the Register of Voters. Documents required for removal of deceased Voters
- When a voter’s card is lost.
- When a voter’s card is destroyed and the voter is not in possession of it.
In other words, a person applying for the removal of a deceased voter from the register can use a sworn affidavit form only, as long as a person has identified him/herself using their green National Registration Card.
Change of name(s) in the Register of Voters
This category covers voters applying for change of names in the Register of Voters after obtaining a new National Registration Card.
Documents required to apply for the change of name(s) in the Register of Voters
- The new Green National Registration Card and
- A Deed Poll or Marriage Certificate, whichever may be applicable.
Omissions
This covers a person who is in possession of a voter’s card but his or her details have been omitted in the Register of Voters.
Objections
This is when a Registration Officer (RO) or a person disagrees with a name of a person appearing or not appearing in the Register of Voters.
Who may object?
This covers a person who is in possession of a voter’s card but his or her details have been omitted in the Register of Voters.
Requirements to object
- Green National Registration Card
- Voters’ Card
Inspection of provisional register of voters
All people registered as voters should inspect the provisional Register of Voters to ensure that their names and other details are correct. This provisional register is not final and cannot be used in an election. It is still open to changes or amendments.
Requirements to inspect the provisional Register of Voters
Requirements to object
- Green National Registration Card
- Voters’ Card
Appeal on voter registration
An Appeal is when a person is not satisfied with the decision of the Registration Officer and seeks redress from the Commission Or when a person is not satisfied with the decision of the Commission and seeks redress in the Court of Law.
Offences during voter registration
- For a person to apply to register as a Voter when they KNOW that they do not qualify for registration
- Unlawful possession of another person’s Voter’s Card
- For a person to refuse to surrender a Voter’s Card to the Registration Officer when they are required to do so
- To register as a voter more than once
- For a person to deliberately provide wrong information to the Registration Officer
- For a person to provide wrong information to the Registration Officer that a person is deceased when in fact not
- For a person to forge, falsify or destroy the a Voters Card or Register of Voters
- To be in possession of a forged Register or Voter’s Card
- For a person to make a false appeal, claim, application or objection
- To induce or compel another person to register or not to register as a Voter
- Unlawfully or forcefully ask another person to produce a Voter’s Card
- To persuade a person who is not qualified to register as a Voter, to do so
- To persuade a person who is not qualified to register as a Voter, to do so
- To represent any person to the Registration Officer that they are entitled to register as a voter when in fact not
Penalty
A person who is convicted of any of the above mentioned offences will pay a fine or be imprisoned for a period not exceeding two years or both, a fine and imprisonment.
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Contact us for more information at;
- Your physical district Voter Registration Office
- On Facebook
- Telephone: +260 211 253155
- Mail or visit Us: Headquarters Electoral Commission of Zambia, Haile Selasie Avenue Elections House, P.O. Box 50274 or the Voter Education Centre at the Showgrounds in Lusaka