The Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) has intensified voter education activities ahead of the August 13 General Election through community outreach programmes using drama performances in Mkushi District, Central Province.
Zemax Films, a local drama group, has been contracted to conduct awareness among the voters and the general citizenry on the importance of voting and participating in the electoral process through songs and sketches.
District Electoral Officer (DEO), Moffat Mwanza, said ECZ was using different methods to ensure voter education messages reached all members of the community.
“A team of voter educators is informing our clients about the importance of voting. We are using several methods to ensure that people get the message. Our clients receive the message differently, so we are using different methods such as drama, poems and one-on-one information sharing,” Mr Mwanza said.
Mr Mwanza said the electoral body hopes the creative approaches will encourage greater participation in the elections and minimise on the rejected or spoiled ballot papers on the poll day.
“We want to capture the highest number of voters, so we need to package the information in a way that is acceptable and appreciated by would-be voters. We want to record the highest percentage possible. We want to have close to 100 percent of our registered voters vote. That will mean that we have done our part as ECZ in the district,” he said.
Meanwhile, learners from Mkushi Day Secondary School and Fiwila Mission School, accompanied by their patrons and matrons, have also been engaging communities through poetry recitals carrying voter education messages.
The outreach activities are aimed at informing members of the public about the requirements for voting among them a green National Registration Card (NRC) and a valid voters card as well as the correct way of marking on the ballot paper to reduce rejected or spoiled ballot papers.
The voter education campaign is expected to continue across Mkushi District as ECZ works to promote informed participation ahead of polling day.
