Concerns Raised Over Biometric Voting Machines

A British academic has raised concerns over the use of biometric voter verification machines at the upcoming elections on August 12th, warning that they could be used to slow down urban voting.

Dr Nicole Beardsworth of the University of Warwick flagged in an article in the Mail & Guardian that there are serious concerns the verification of biometric data will be “deliberately used to slow down - and hence deter - voting in urban areas, where support for [Hakainde] Hichilema appears to be growing”. 

The Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) announced that it would be using the biometric machines at busier polling stations only a few weeks ago, which Dr Beardsworth argues will be intimidating to many opposition voters, who are being asked to provide their biometric data at the last minute. 

Dr Beardsworth also highlights that ECZ staff will have hardly any time to train for using the machines ahead of polling day. In a series of tweets, she notes that the commission was planning to train 949 biometric operators on Wednesday and Thursday - just one week out from election day.

According to a statement from the ECZ, district electoral officers are being asked to “identify amongst their polls staff, people who are literate in computers or smart phones” to take part in the training. Dr Beardsworth says “it boggles the mind” that this should be happening only the week before polling day. 

All this adds to further concerns around the ECZ’s handling of the elections, which has been routinely criticised. In March, University of Zambia lecturer Sishuwa Sishuwa warned that the provisional register of voters was massively biased in favour of the Patriotic Front, with the number of registered voters rising in government safe seats while simultaneously falling in areas likely to vote for the opposition. He warned that this risked turning August’s elections into a “scam” and called for an independent audit of the voters’ roll. So far no audit has taken place. 

Despite concerns around delays for biometric voting, Zambians should be assured that these machines are secure and will not change your vote or reveal who you voted for. Voters in areas using the machines are advised to turn up early on polling day to avoid delays and should remember that if you are in the queue before 6pm you are legally entitled to vote.