The Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) has begun the process of transferring voter registration and constituency delimitation functions to other State institutions following the enactment of Constitutional Amendment No. 3 Act, 2026.
In a statement, ZEC Chairperson, Justice Priscilla Chigumba, said the constitutional amendment transfers responsibility for voter registration, the compilation and custody of voters’ rolls and registers to the Registrar-General, while the delimitation of constituencies, wards and other electoral boundaries will now fall under the Delimitation Commission.
“ZEC wishes to advise the public that the handover of those aspects of its mandate that have been transferred to other institutions is a process that it is engaged with,” Justice Chigumba said.
She said the Commission was working closely with the Ministry of Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs to facilitate the transition.
“The Commission is in consultation with the Ministry of Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs and anticipates receiving transitional subsidiary regulations that will provide the framework for the handover and takeover of the functions,” she said.
Despite the changes, ZEC said it remained fully operational and ready to execute its remaining constitutional responsibilities under Section 239 of the Constitution.
These include preparing, conducting and supervising elections and referendums; designing, printing and distributing ballot papers; approving ballot box forms; establishing polling stations; conducting voter education; accrediting election and referendum observers; issuing directions to State and local authority officials involved in elections; and receiving and determining election-related complaints.
Justice Chigumba said the Commission would continue to update the public as the transition progresses.
“Further announcements will be made in due course as the transition process unfolds,” she said, adding that ZEC remained committed to ensuring “a seamless and lawful transition of functions to the designated institutions.”
The transfer of voter registration and delimitation responsibilities forms part of the reforms introduced under Constitutional Amendment No. 3 Act, 2026, marking one of the most significant changes to Zimbabwe’s electoral administration since the adoption of the 2013 Constitution.
