Stakeholders warn against rumoured plans by ECZ to remove official mark from 2026 ballot papers

Some stakeholders have raised concern and expressed opposition to reports that the Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) planned to remove the official mark from ballot papers for the 2026 General Elections. Citizens First Spokesperson, Dalitso Tembo, said any move that weakened electoral safeguards or undermined public confidence in the electoral process must be opposed. In a statement issued in Lusaka on Wednesday, Tembo said the official mark on ballot papers had, over the years, served as a critical security and verification feature designed to protect the integrity of the vote and prevent electoral malpractice.

She said that at a time when Zambia required enhanced transparency, stronger electoral security, and greater stakeholder confidence, any decision to remove such a safeguard was ill-advised and risked generating unnecessary suspicion, tension, and mistrust among citizens and political actors. “Citizens First firmly believe that electoral reforms must strengthen — not dilute — the credibility of elections,” Tembo stated. She emphasized that any changes to ballot design or electoral procedures should be anchored in law, subjected to broad stakeholder consultation, and clearly justified in the public interest.

Tembo urged the ECZ to immediately clarify its position, engage political parties and stakeholders transparently, and refrain from implementing changes that may compromise the perceived or actual integrity of the electoral process. Similarly, People’s Pact Vice President for Strategy, Peter Sinkamba, said that although some reforms were noted, several provisions introduced significant vulnerabilities that could be exploited to undermine the will of the voters. Sinkamba said the official mark was a primary security feature that prevents “ballot stuffing” by distinguishing legitimate ballots from pre-marked or counterfeit ones.

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“Removing it makes it impossible to distinguish between a legitimate ballot issued at the station and a fraudulent one,” he argued. Sinkamba further noted that the Bill introduced an “adoption certificate,” defined as a document signed exclusively by the Secretary-General of a political party to sponsor a candidate. He stated that the certificate would be required for all nominations except those for independent candidates. He argued that the removal of the official mark and the centralization of candidate adoption were retrogressive steps that threatened the credibility of the 2026 General Election.

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