Electoral processes create an opportunity for young people to effectively contribute in the election of leaders that are supposed to represent them at both local and national levels. Through elections, they are able to make their voices heard, and influence the outcome of the elections considering the fact that they constitute the largest demographic. However, in Matabeleland South, the participation of young people in elections has been problematic which resulted in CYDT and MYDI teaming up with trained young people to conduct a voter mobilisation campaign that was designed to maximize youth voter turnout in areas like Gwanda and Matobo districts.
For better results, the voter mobilisation process was led by the youth. This approach attracted many youth to go around their respective communities, mobilising their peers to turnout to vote on Election Day. Young people were encouraging their friends, family members and colleagues that registered to vote to regularly check their voter details on the voters roll by visiting their polling station or dialing the short-code *265#; this was a way to help them avoid going to the wrong polling station on Election Day. It also helped those who saw errors in their voter details to go to ZEC offices and fix the errors on time before Election Day.
On Election Day, the fruits of the voter mobilisation campaign were seen as young people queued in numbers in their respective polling stations across Matabeleland South. Young people showed that they were determined to make their voices heard in higher numbers as they voted for the candidates they believed were capable of taking care of their needs especially at local level. The huge voter turnout by the youths resulted in young people that ran as candidates coming out victorious when results were announced by the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission for example in Matobo District, 7 youths were elected councillors.
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