OFFICIALS involved in the second phase of updating the Permanent Voter Register need to strictly adhere to electoral laws, regulations and procedures, as the exercise begins across 15 regions from May 1 to 7.

Justice Jacobs Mwambegele, the chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) issued this appeal at a one-day training session for municipal officials, urging ward-level officials to uphold professionalism, integrity and respect when serving citizens.

“I repeat what I said during the previous exercise—ensure full compliance with electoral laws, be courteous to citizens, and provide quality service,” the veteran justice official emphasised.

Treating voters with respect is essential, as most of those who seek assistance are ordinary citizens. “Correct errors politely where needed. Respectful service builds trust,” he told the trainees.

The voter register update, mandated under Section 16(5) of the Elections Act No. 1 of 2024, is conducted twice between general elections: after the previous election and before the nomination of candidates for the next poll, he said.

The second phase of the update has three rounds, from May 1 to July 4, where the first round, on May 1–7 will spread across 15 regions, listed as Iringa, Geita, Kagera, Mara, Shinyanga, Mwanza, Simiyu, Rukwa, Tabora, Katavi, Kigoma, Ruvuma, Mbeya, Njombe and Songwe.

The second round, May 16–22, includes 16 regions namely  Arusha, Manyara, Kilimanjaro, Tanga, Morogoro, Coast, Singida, Dodoma, Dar es Salaam, Lindi, Mtwara, Urban West, North Unguja, South Unguja, North Pemba and South Pemba, he elaborated.

The third and final round, scheduled for June 28 to July 4, targets 130 prison centers in the Mainland and ten penitentiaries in Zanzibar, he said, conducted at the ward level in the Mainland and constituency level in Zanzibar.

A total of 7,869 registration centers—7,659 on the Mainland and 210 in Zanzibar will be used in the exercise, where INEC expects to register 1,396,609 new voters during this phase, update details for 1,092,383 voters, and remove 148,624 individuals who no longer qualify—due to death or civic ineligibility, he specified.

The exercise includes relocating voter details for those who have changed wards or constituencies, and purging the register of invalid entries, he said, affirming that under Section 11 of the Elections Act, INEC is required to prepare and publicly display the preliminary voter register to allow scrutiny, corrections and objections.

“The register will be posted at all centers used in the first phase, giving the public an opportunity to verify information and raise objections where necessary,” he said. The first phase of the register update was conducted between July 20, 2024, and March 25, 2025, he added.