Ballot papers cleared for nationwide rollout as stakeholders confirm election materials untampered

The Electoral Commission of Zambia has concluded verification of ballot papers and other electoral materials for the 13 August general election, clearing the way for nationwide distribution to begin today.

Political parties, civil society organisations, European Union observers and media representatives completed the exercise at the ECZ’s warehouse in Chongwe on Friday, inspecting two pallets of ballot papers drawn from Mansa East and Lumwana constituencies. Stakeholders agreed not to proceed with an earlier plan to sample ten pallets, choosing instead to limit the opening of sealed boxes to preserve the integrity of the remaining materials.

ECZ acting manager for elections Mataa Sikota said the commission had originally scheduled two days for the process but concluded early after stakeholders expressed satisfaction with what they saw. He confirmed that district-level verification, which will involve more detailed inspection with boxes opened and checked individually, would begin once materials reach their respective centres.

“We have not opened any ballot papers. We have not seen any ballot papers. The ballot papers remain sealed,” Mr Sikota said, describing the national-level exercise as confirmatory rather than exhaustive.

Stakeholders who witnessed the arrival and dispatch of election materials in Dubai confirmed that the serial numbers on the packages matched those recorded before shipment, giving added assurance that nothing had been altered in transit.

Tonse Alliance secretary-general Zumani Zimba said he was satisfied that the ECZ had honoured its commitment to transparency, confirming that the materials inspected were new and showed no signs of tampering. Tonse-Pamodzi Alliance secretary-general Celestine Mukandila commended the cooperation between the ECZ and stakeholders and urged the commission to maintain the same openness throughout the electoral process.

UPND media director Mark Simuuwe said the successful verification demonstrated commitment to transparency, though he expressed concern that representatives from the African Union and the Southern African Development Community were not present during the arrival and inspection of the materials.

Law Association of Zambia council member Mehluli Batakathi described the process as transparent, saying the security measures in place had given stakeholders confidence that the integrity of the materials was being protected.

Meanwhile, ECZ voter education officer Joseph Mbewe dismissed allegations that the electoral body could manipulate results in favour of any political party or candidate. Speaking during a one-day ECZ youth conference in Kabwe, Mr Mbewe said the commission belonged to the people of Zambia, not to any party or individual leader, and that appointments of commissioners were subject to parliamentary ratification rather than presidential discretion alone.

He added that political parties are present at polling stations and verification centres throughout the process, making claims of result manipulation difficult to sustain, and that strict procedures governing voting and ballot management made it impossible for pre-marked ballot papers to be introduced into ballot boxes.

Governance expert and human rights advocate Wesley Miyanda urged the ECZ and the Zambia Police Service to remain impartial and act firmly against isolated cases of electoral violence. He said campaigns had generally remained peaceful, but that any violations of electoral laws should be addressed decisively to preserve public confidence.

Distribution of ballot papers to districts across the country begins today and will run until 10 August, giving officials time to move materials into place before polling day. The exercise marks one of the final logistical milestones before Zambians go to the polls to choose a president, members of parliament, mayors, council chairpersons and councillors.

Each package inspected contained ballot papers for the presidential, National Assembly, mayoral or council chairperson, and councillor elections, along with voters’ registers, tactile ballot templates for visually impaired voters, posters in English and local languages, and GEN20A declaration of results forms.

With verification complete and materials cleared for despatch, attention now turns to the district level, where the more detailed box-by-box inspection stakeholders have been promised will take place ahead of polling day.

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