Voter Education is the Lifeblood of Democracy

By

 Justine Mushoke

Zambia is heading to the polls once again on 13 August 2026 and this time voters are more educated than ever before. This will be the tenth time that citizens will elect a President since the return to multi-party democracy in 1991. For the majority of voters this is the political system into which they were both born and have lived their entire life.

 Voter education is at the heart of efforts by the Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) as it continues its preparations for the election. After all, democracy is not as simple as having thefreedom to cast your ballot on the day. To function effectively it requires that citizens are alsoempowered and equipped with the relevant information that enables them to make aninformed choice. This is the driving force behind the Commission’s “Count Me In” campaign which was launched at the beginning of June and aims to equip citizens with the informationthey need to vote. This includes practical information on the how, the where, and the when, as well as a strong focus on empowerment and supporting citizens to exercise their democratic rights. With non-partisan Voter Education Facilitators deployed across the country, in addition to communication across both traditional and digital media, the objective is to ensure the campaign reaches people where they are.

 As a country with a proud history when it comes to the active participation of civil society, we are fortunate to have various NGOs also undertaking voter education efforts during this period, complementing those of the ECZ. For example, the Christian Churches Monitoring Group (CCMG) is producing and sharing content on the importance of voting, as well as what recent changes such as delimitation mean for voters in practice. We also have organisations such as Transparency International-Zambia (TI-Z) playing their part in monitoring the process and keeping citizens informed on matters relating to electoral integrity through the provision of regular updates and reports.

 Media also have a critical role to play, and it is encouraging to see the comprehensive coverage accorded to various political parties and candidates across different outlets. This is vital given the recent proliferation of disinformation. While today the fact that there are so many channels for sharing information with voters is an opportunity to reach more people than ever before, it is sadly one that is readily being exploited by those seeking to undermine the upcoming polls for their own benefit. The ECZ has itself been on the receiving end of these attacks on more than one occasion and is issuing warnings and alerts in response. Given the rapid rate with which rumours can spread, serious resources, as well as collaboration with key partners and media, have to be deployed to mitigate these threats. 

 In the face of this latest trend one of the most powerful safeguards we can deploy is continued investment in comprehensive voter education. More than ever before citizens must be able to critically analyse reports circulating, understand how they can validate or verify the authenticity or otherwise of these claims and know what to do if they believe a report requires action by the authorities. On this front, the ECZ’s Early Warning System Portal enables citizens to report any threats or incidents to the Commission via the website or using the USSD code *214#.

 Each election brings with it fresh challenges but the importance of continued and unrelenting efforts on voter education is a constant. This is how we can best protect our democracy and ensure meaningful participation in the here and now, as well as for future generations. As we approach August 13, we must all pull together and help with these efforts by educating ourselves using trusted, credible and well-established sources of information. At the same time, we must be highly vigilant for false information, unverified reports and discredited sources. Only through continued voter education can we grow Zambia’s reputation as a leading stable and peaceful democracy in the region and beyond.

The author is Executive Director, Action Governance Forum (AGF)