ECZ’s failure to register voters exposes serious systemic weakness – Nshindano

ECZ’s failure to register voters exposes serious systemic weakness – Nshindano

Former Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) Chief Electoral Officer, Kryticous Patrick Nshindano, has delivered a sharp assessment of the Commission’s failure to reach its voter registration target, saying the outcome exposes deep operational, logistical and coordination failures within the institution and its partners.

The ECZ had targeted 3.5 million new voters, but only managed to capture 1.6 million (46% of the target), a shortfall that has reignited concerns over the Commission’s readiness ahead of the 2026 general elections.

Nshindano described the outcome as a reflection of serious gaps in planning and execution, noting that voter registration targets are not arbitrary but based on population projections, the number of citizens turning 18, trends from previous registration cycles, and administrative data on unregistered adults.

“Falling significantly short of such targets generally reflects a combination of operational, logistical, and communication-related challenges,” he stated in an interview with Zambian Business Times -ZBT.

“These include inadequate preparation time, limited registration centres or equipment, weak coordination with NRC issuance, and insufficient public sensitisation.” the ex- ECZ Chief Electoral Officer told ZBT in an exclusive interview.

He said these shortcomings point to a system that failed to meet the scale of the exercise, resulting in limited access, delayed mobilisation of resources, and inconsistent service delivery especially in rural and peri-urban communities.

Nshindano who is also and Public Policy & Electoral Management Expert & Consultant stressed that while registering is a civic responsibility, the ECZ cannot rely on passive participation from citizens. Robust civic and voter education, he said, is non-negotiable for any mass registration exercise.

He criticised the initially weak voter education, arguing that it left many potential registrants unaware, uninformed, or uncertain about the process.

“A registration exercise of this magnitude demands intensive civic and voter education before the process even begins. Citizens must know the requirements, the services available, and where to go. Messaging must target youth, first-time voters and rural communities on platforms they actually use.”

On resource deployment, he noted that the ECZ’s compressed timeline required a much more aggressive approach, including more registration kits, more personnel, and a wider network of accessible registration points.

While he acknowledged the Commission’s late effort to set up registration points in high-traffic areas such as shopping malls, he said such measures came [too little] too late to reverse earlier setbacks.

A recurring challenge that further weakened the process, he said, was the lack of coordination with NRC issuance.

“Ideally, NRC and voter registration processes should be synchronised. Mobile NRC and mobile voter registration teams must operate together, especially in rural areas where access barriers are highest.”

Nshindano emphasised that voter registration is not merely an administrative process but a trust-building exercise that directly influences electoral legitimacy.

“Strengthening transparency, communication and stakeholder engagement is essential. Effective coordination, adequate resourcing and data-driven management will determine whether future registration exercises succeed or fail.”

Stakeholders are now demanding a detailed review of the registration process, with calls for ECZ to confront weaknesses head-on to avoid another nationwide shortfall.

Zambia Business Times