40 pallets of ballot papers arrive in…

The Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) has delivered 40 pallets of ballot papers to Lusaka District ahead of the August 13, 2026 General Elections. The ballot papers, transported in seven trucks from the ECZ central warehouse, will cater for 10 constituencies, 38 wards and 1,246 polling stations in Lusaka District. Lusaka District Electoral Officer Oliver Muuka said the ballot papers will be securely stored at the district Civic Centre before being dispatched to polling stations on Tuesday and Wednesday, ahead of Thursday’s polls.

Mr Muuka said the ballot papers will be kept under 24-hour security until dispatch and will be escorted to the respective polling stations where they will remain secured until they are used. “These ballot papers will be stopped here until we dispatch them to these polling stations on Tuesday and Wednesday, in readiness for the polls on Thursday 13th,” he said. He said of the 40 pallets, Lusaka Central has four, Munali six, Lima two, Roma four, Matero three, Makeni four, Mandevu five, Kanyama four, Chawama four and Kabwata four.

Mr Muuka also apologised for the delayed receipt of the ballot papers, which was initially scheduled for yesterday Friday, attributing the postponement to logistical challenges. Meanwhile, Roma Constituency parliamentary candidate Chilando Chitangala, said she was satisfied with the security arrangements after stakeholders were allowed to inspect the storage facility. And Tonse Alliance representative Evelyn Banda commended the ECZ for what she described as transparency in the handling of ballot papers, saying stakeholders had witnessed their movement from the airport to the central warehouse and subsequently to the Lusaka Civic Centre.

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Another stakeholder, Foundation for Democratic Process (FODEP) Provincial Chairperson Clement Zulu, also expressed satisfaction with the process. Mr Zulu further urged stakeholders who may be suspicious of the handling of electoral materials to physically witness the process, saying transparency can best be established by observing the process firsthand. “Those of us that are suspicious with the process, the best thing is to come and witness and see by ourselves what is happening here,” Mr Zulu said.

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