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Tanzania

Franchise & Registration

  • Franchise Age: 18
  • Compulsory Vote: Not compulsory
  • Registration Type: Formal registration in office
  • Registration Basis: Residence requirement
  • Multiple Registr Allowed: Only 1 registration allowed at a time

Election Management & Enforcement

  • Nameof EMB: National Electoral Commission
  • Independent EMB: Yes
  • EMBNominations: 7 members selelcted by the President
  • EMBTenure: 5 years
  • Who Runs Election: Election Management Body
  • Nameof Elect Enforcement Body: High Court of the United Republic

Candidacy & Campaign Rules

Electoral System & Organisation

  • Elect System Main Election: Mixed
  • Main Election Type: Presidential
  • Main Election Cycle: 5
  • Numb Round Main Election: Two
  • Referenda_Law: The majority of votes given in the referendum shall determine the decision of the votes on such question in the referendum and the referendum results declared by the National Electoral Commission shall be binding on the Government of the United Republic and the Revolutionary Government of Zanzibar. Source: The Constitutional Review Act No. 8 of 2011 as amended by the Act No. 2 of 2012, art. 36
  • Referenda_Binding: Always Binding
  • Voting Machine: None
  • Vote IDRequired: ID not required
  • Polling Card: Polling card compulsory
  • National Holiday Elect Day: Sometimes
  • Districting Source: EMB
  • Districting Flexibility: The Electoral Commission shall have the power to review and demarcate the boundaries of constituencies after obtaining the consent of the President. In demarcating the boundaries of constituencies, the Electoral Commission shall take due account of the availability of means of communication also the geographical conditions of the area intended demarcation into constituencies.
  • Frequency Districting Change: 10

Polling Station

  • Average Voterby Polling Station: 380
  • Normal Opening Time Poll Station: 700
  • Normal Closing Time Poll Station: 1600
  • Polling Station Numbers: 51752
  • Listof Polling Station Buildings: public buildings such as schools and in tents due to the high number of voters
  • Ballot Box Transparency: Transparent
  • Box Feeding System: Voter
  • Vote Receipt: No receipt
  • Count Locallyor Centrally: locally
  • Manualor Automatic Count: manual
  • Nature Counting Personnel: Returning Officer

Ballot Paper

  • Ballot Type: Paper
  • Max Numberof Votesper Ballot: 3
  • Ballot Paper Type Description: Ballot papers for each election are colour coded to match the ballot box for that election. The Presiding officer gives three ballot papers to the voter, i.e. for voting for President, Member of Parliament and Councilor, and demonstrates how to fold the ballot after casting the vote. The voter enters the polling booth and marks a 'v' under the box of preferred candidate.
  • Ballot Paper Type Photo Upload: YES
  • Ballot Photos: Freely Allowed
  • Ballot Logos: Freely Allowed
  • Orderof Candidatesor Parties: alphabetical

Remote Voting

  • Temporal Remote Voting: No
  • Geographical Remote Voting: No
  • Personal Remote Voting: No
  • Mobile Polling Stations: No

Special Needs

  • Provision Illiterate Voters: National Elections Act (2010). Article 61, section 3 states: The voting at an election shall be conducted in the following manner… (b) if a voter is incapacitated by blindness or other physical cause or is unable to read, he may ask a person of his own choice other than the presiding officer, a polling assistant or a polling agent, to assist such an incapacitated person to record his vote….and a person chosen under this paragraph shall assist not more than one voter: Provided that- Where in a household there is more than one person who requires assistance under this paragraph, it shall be lawful for such members of the household to choose one person to assist them…(i) if a voter is illiterate or does not understand how to record his vote the presiding officer may, in the presence of the polling agent, explain to the voter the procedure.
  • Provision Linguistic Ethnic Minorites: information available in other languages
  • Special Provision Female Voters: Pregnant women, nursing mothers, women with disabilities and elderly women have the right to preference and support from electoral administrators.
  • Provision Blind Voters: National Elections Act (2010). Article 61, section 3 states: The voting at an election shall be conducted in the following manner… (b) if a voter is incapacitated by blindness or other physical cause or is unable to read, he may ask a person of his own choice other than the presiding officer, a polling assistant or a polling agent, to assist such an incapacitated person to record his vote….and a person chosen under this paragraph shall assist not more than one voter: Provided that- Where in a household there is more than one person who requires assistance under this paragraph, it shall be lawful for such members of the household to choose one person to assist them…(i) if a voter is illiterate or does not understand how to record his vote the presiding officer may, in the presence of the polling agent, explain to the voter the procedure.
  • Provision Deaf Voters: National Elections Act (2010). Article 61, section 3 states: The voting at an election shall be conducted in the following manner… (b) if a voter is incapacitated by blindness or other physical cause or is unable to read, he may ask a person of his own choice other than the presiding officer, a polling assistant or a polling agent, to assist such an incapacitated person to record his vote….and a person chosen under this paragraph shall assist not more than one voter: Provided that- Where in a household there is more than one person who requires assistance under this paragraph, it shall be lawful for such members of the household to choose one person to assist them…(i) if a voter is illiterate or does not understand how to record his vote the presiding officer may, in the presence of the polling agent, explain to the voter the procedure.
  • Provision Motor Handicap Voters: National Elections Act (2010). Article 61, section 3 states: The voting at an election shall be conducted in the following manner… (b) if a voter is incapacitated by blindness or other physical cause or is unable to read, he may ask a person of his own choice other than the presiding officer, a polling assistant or a polling agent, to assist such an incapacitated person to record his vote….and a person chosen under this paragraph shall assist not more than one voter: Provided that- Where in a household there is more than one person who requires assistance under this paragraph, it shall be lawful for such members of the household to choose one person to assist them…(i) if a voter is illiterate or does not understand how to record his vote the presiding officer may, in the presence of the polling agent, explain to the voter the procedure.
  • Over Representation Vuln Group: Legislature - 5 extra Zanzibar

Targeted Initiatives

  • Recent Major Changes: Tanzania's electoral body to start pilot voter registration
  • Transparency Initiative: The Returning Officer shall make arrangements for counting the votes in the presence of the counting agents

Inclusivity Provisions