THE Zanzibar Electoral Commission (ZEC) has reaffirmed that the schedule for the late October general election includes early voting for security agencies, conducted a day before the polling is held.

Thabit Idarous Faina, the ZEC director, made this clarification in a press conference at the commission’s Maisara head offices, underlining that early voting is reserved for specific individuals as outlined in Election Law No. 4 of 2018.

He said the early voting is legally recognized in the constitution and eligible legislation and will be conducted at polling stations designated by the commission, ads the ZEC empowering law clearly states.

“Early voting will take place, and ZEC has issued regulations specifying that early voting will be held one day before the election,” he emphasized, explaining that the provision is intended for all officials involved in election activities, including security personnel responsible for overseeing the general election to fulfill their duties without any hindrance.

“On August 18, we will issue the full election schedule, but so far the law remains the same and has not been amended; that is what we will use,” he declared, stressing that the media and the police force have significant roles in participating in the election process.

In that consideration, ZEC will provide training for journalists, editors and the police on how to handle election activities, with the training also directed at political parties “to inform them about various procedures on how the 2025 election will be conducted,” he specified.

The general election will be free, fair, and peaceful, with early voting being conducted for the second time, after the procedure was first instituted in the 2020 polls, the director added.