2025 Voter Registration Drive

The CCMG report noted massive progress was made, but structural gaps that need to be resolved still persist

By Francis Maingaila ♥️

Lusaka, Zambia24 — (January 30, 2026) — The Christian Churches Monitoring Group (CCMG) has found that Zambia’s 2025 Mobile Mass Voter Registration Exercise recorded notable improvements but also exposed serious structural and operational gaps that could affect inclusive participation ahead of the 2026 General Election.

The findings are contained in CCMG’s final voter registration observation report titled From Queue to Register, which was launched in Lusaka on Friday and presents an independent assessment of the registration process conducted across all six phases in all ten provinces.

Rev. Kasungami

Evangelical Fellowship of Zambia (EFZ) Executive Rev. Allan Kasungami, speaking on behalf of CCMG Chairperson Fr. Francis Mukusa, told stakeholders that CCMG deployed trained and accredited observers throughout the entire voter registration period to independently assess the process and strengthen electoral accountability, rather than police the Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ).

He said CCMG’s observation focused on inclusivity, transparency, operational efficiency, and adherence to legal and administrative procedures as outlined in Zambia’s electoral framework.

According to the report, registration procedures were largely followed at most centres. 

Applicants were required to prove eligibility before registration, voter cards were issued correctly, and sensitive registration materials were secured at the end of each day.

The report further notes that priority was generally accorded to persons with disabilities, pregnant women, and nursing mothers, reflecting reasonable compliance with inclusivity guidelines.

CCMG also observed that technical challenges, particularly equipment breakdowns, were common during the early phases of the exercise but reduced significantly by the final phase. 

Observer access improved over time, while daily registration numbers increased toward the end of the exercise, suggesting growing public awareness and engagement.

Despite these improvements, CCMG said significant challenges remain.

The report found that approximately 12 percent of registration centres did not open on time across the six phases. 

These delays were attributed to poor coordination and last-minute logistical changes, limiting voter access, especially in rural areas.

Staff shortages were widespread, with many centres operating with only one registration officer. 

CCMG said this increased the risk of service interruptions, slowed registration processes, and reduced internal accountability.

Gender imbalances were also noted, with several registration centres staffed entirely by men.

Transparency remained a concern, as some centres did not provide observers with daily provisional registration figures. 

CCMG said such non-sensitive information should be shared consistently to build public confidence in the registration process.

Accessibility challenges persisted at many centres, particularly for persons with disabilities, older persons, and those with limited mobility, due to the use of buildings with steps and staircases. 

While officials often attempted to assist affected registrants, the report said physical access remained inadequate.

Although CCMG welcomed the extension of the voter registration period, the report criticised weak planning and communication around the extension, citing the lack of timely and disaggregated registration data to justify or guide the process.

The report also recorded a few serious incidents, including allegations of voter inducement, underage registration, and the harassment of an accredited observer. 

CCMG said these incidents underscore the need for consistent enforcement of the Electoral Code of Conduct throughout the entire electoral cycle, including during voter registration.

CCMG commended the ECZ and its officers for working under difficult logistical conditions but emphasised that addressing the identified gaps is essential to ensuring inclusive, credible, and trusted elections.

Rev. Kasungami said the exercise demonstrated that Zambia’s electoral system can deliver credible processes if lessons learned are applied consistently.

Fr. G Mapulanga.

Meanwhile, Caritas Zambia Executive Director Fr. Gabriel Mapulanga thanked observers, partners, and communities for supporting democratic accountability and called for continued cooperation ahead of the 2026 General Election.

Mr. Mwanangombe

Speaking earlier, CCMG Programmes Manager Peter Mwanangombe outlined key findings from the observation exercise, highlighting systemic weaknesses that persisted despite high levels of procedural compliance.

Mwanangombe cited widespread understaffing at registration centres, limited physical accessibility for persons with disabilities, lack of transparency in the release of registration data, and inadequate planning during the extension period as major concerns.

He warned that these challenges risk undermining the credibility and inclusiveness of the electoral process if not addressed.

The voter registration exercise ran from October 13 to November 11, 2025, and was later extended to November 29 to allow additional eligible citizens to register.

Mwanangombe explained that CCMG deployed a total of 337 accredited observers, including 319 mobile observers stationed at a representative sample of registration centres and 18 stationary observers deployed to district offices and prisons to monitor inmate registration during Phase Four.

He said observers monitored centre opening and closing times, staffing levels, accessibility, adherence to procedures, and the handling of registration materials, submitting daily reports using a coded SMS reporting system.

Observers collected 50 data points per day and 100 per phase, generating a total of 235,900 unique data points.

 

These were analysed by the CCMG Secretariat with technical support from the National Democratic Institute (NDI).

On staffing levels, Mwanangombe revealed that approximately 53 percent of registration centres operated with only one ECZ official, a situation most prevalent in Central and Copperbelt Provinces.

He said understaffing slowed registration processes, increased waiting times, and may have discouraged potential registrants.

He further disclosed that only 50 percent of centres had backup registration kits, while equipment breakdowns affected about seven percent of centres.

Additionally, an average of 12 percent of centres failed to open on time due to logistical challenges and inconsistencies between district-level deployment and national planning.

Despite these operational constraints, CCMG found strong adherence to core registration procedures.

Mwanangombe said 99 percent of centres had all critical registration materials and recorded very few questionable registrations, demonstrating that the system functioned effectively where adequate staffing and equipment were available.

CCMG also raised concerns regarding access and transparency.

Mwanangombe reported that five percent of CCMG monitors were not accredited in time, limiting their ability to observe some phases of the exercise.

He also said 14 percent of registration centres declined to provide daily registration figures to observers.

“Transparency is essential for public trust. When daily figures are withheld, it becomes difficult to independently verify progress and assess inclusivity,” Mwanangombe said.

Gender representation among ECZ officials was also uneven, with 41 percent of centres operating without a single female official, particularly in Central and Eastern Provinces.

Accessibility remained a significant concern, as 66 percent of centres required registrants to climb stairs, posing barriers for persons with disabilities, the elderly, and pregnant women.

Political party participation in the registration process was minimal. Patriotic Front (PF) representatives were present at three percent of centres, United Party for National Development (UPND) at four percent, and other political parties at three percent.

Other non-partisan observers were present at eight percent of centres, while security personnel were deployed to 99 percent of registration sites.

Mwanangombe said the limited presence of political parties reduced multiparty oversight and called on parties to take greater responsibility in monitoring electoral processes.

The extension period attracted particular concern.

Mwanangombe said CCMG was unable to access disaggregated registration data against the ECZ’s target of 3.5 million voters, making it difficult to assess the effectiveness of the extension.

“The extension was not sufficiently driven by data, and there was limited public information explaining how decisions were made,” he said.

Responding to questions from George Kanguya of the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC), Mwanangombe acknowledged that vote buying and inducements remain a recurring challenge during electoral processes.

He said the issue is adequately addressed in the Electoral Process Act but requires stronger enforcement and sustained inter-agency engagement.

He urged the ACC to treat voter registration as a critical entry point for preventing electoral malpractice and to act decisively where inducements or illegal incentives are reported.

In response to questions from representatives of the German development agency GIZ regarding the accreditation of monitors, Mwanangombe described accreditation as an ongoing and sometimes inconsistent process influenced by operational changes at the ECZ.

He said CCMG engaged the Commission regularly on accreditation delays, changes in observer numbers, and restrictions at certain centres, noting that while some challenges persisted, improvements were observed as the exercise progressed following stakeholder engagement.

Mwanangombe also addressed questions on prison registration, stating that while inmate registration followed standard eligibility requirements, logistical and organisational challenges remained, requiring closer coordination between the ECZ and correctional authorities.

Responding to questions from Yatuta Sikazwe of the British High Commission, Mwanangombe said while the law allows flexibility in registration arrangements, innovation must not compromise clarity, accessibility, or equity.

He noted that the extension period presented opportunities to improve outreach and data transparency, but these were not fully utilised due to limited planning time and unclear communication.

CCMG concluded by recommending that the ECZ deploy at least two officials per registration centre, improve accreditation procedures for observers, release timely and disaggregated registration data, and ensure registration centres are physically accessible.

The organisation also called on political parties to intensify voter mobilisation and oversight and urged the Anti-Corruption Commission to strictly enforce the Electoral Code of Conduct.

“Credible elections begin with a credible voter registration process,” Mwanangombe said, adding that addressing the identified gaps is essential to safeguarding the integrity of the 2026 General Elections.