DAR ES SALAAM: THE Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has granted permits to 191 civil society organisations to provide voter education and monitor the upgrade of the Permanent Voter Register (PVR).
This announcement was made by INEC Director for Elections, Ramadhani Kailima, in a public notice recently.
According to Mr Kailima, 157 organisations will be responsible for provision of voter education during the PVR upgrade exercise, while 34 organisations will act as observers.
“The commission issued the permits during its meetings on June 22 and 24, this year, in accordance with Article 10(1) (g) and (h) of the NEC Act No. 2 of 2024, read together with Regulation 46(4) of the PVR Improvement Regulations 2024,” he noted.
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INEC has published the list of organisations on its website. Among the notable organisations are the Legal and Human Rights Centre (LHRC), Tunu Pinda Foundation, Tanzania Bora Initiative, Women’s Legal Aid Centre (WLAC), Tanzania Women Lawyers Association (TAWLA), United Nations Association of Tanzania (UNA Tanzania), Save the Community Tanzania, Yiaga Africa, Songwe Paralegal Service Centre, Sumbawanga Legal Aid Centre (SULAC) and Iringa Development of Youths, Disabled and Children Care (IDYDC).
Other organisations include Tanzania Gender Networking Programme (TGNP), HakiElimu, Kibondo Paralegal Foundation (KIPAFO), ActionAid Tanzania, Window for Justice and Peace Organisation, Sheria Poa, Makangarawe Youth Information and Development Centre, Zanzibar Fighting Against Youth Challenges Organisation, NGOs Network for Dodoma and People with Disabilities Can Make It.
Originally scheduled to commence on July 1, the PVR upgrade has been postponed to July 20. The launch will take place in Kigoma Region.
This decision was made after considering feedback from various stakeholders during INEC meetings in Dar es Salaam and Kigoma.
Stakeholders requested additional time for political parties to recruit registration agents and mobilise supporters, for organisations to prepare adequately for providing voter education and monitoring the PVR improvement and for the Commission to allocate sufficient time for voter education before the exercise begins.
Ahead of the exercise, INEC has secured 6,000 biometric voter registration (BVR) Kits to update the permanent voters’ register for the 2025 general elections. Other improvements include allowing registered voters to update their information online through the new Voters Registration System (VRS).
This system, designed to align with the current BVR Kits using Android software, replaces the previous kits that used Microsoft Windows software.
In 2019 and 2020, the commission faced challenges with the older BVR Kits, which weighed 35 kilogrammes and were difficult to transport.
The upcoming exercise will employ the VRS within Mini BVR Kits, weighing only 15 kilogrammes, and utilise contemporary, integrated and portable technology for capturing and storing voter information.
INEC is mandated to update the Permanent National Voters’ Register twice: once after the conclusion of a General Election and once before the nomination day for the next General Election, as per section 15(5) of the National Elections Act, Cap. 343 and section 21(5) of the Local Authorities (Elections) Act, Cap. 292.
For the first time this year, INEC will register prisoners, specifically those sentenced to less than six months.
In Mainland Tanzania, there are 130 voter registration centres located in prisons and in Zanzibar, there are 10 centres.
Updating information online has conditions: those who want to amend their information must have a National Identification Number (NIN) provided by National Identification Authority (NIDA). However, a voter who is transferring their information will not be required to have a NIN number.
The NIN number is important for verifying voter information that is being corrected in the Register. Those who go to the registration centres for the first time will not be required to have a NIDA number.
