A survey by the Election Resource Centre (ERC) has found that most youths who will vote in the 2023 election want to see a change of government that will improve the economy.
The survey, which was conducted in Harare and Bulawayo and targeted 680 youths aged between 18 and 35.
Unpacking the report on This Morning on Asakhe, ERC Research Adviser, Eve Nyemba said 76 percent of the sample had registered to vote.
“In terms of electoral participation of the 80 percent of the youths who had registered to vote or are planning to register, 94 percent of them will vote in the 2023 election, and six percent said they are not going to vote in the elections,” she said
The primary motivation for voting among the youth was the desire to see a change of government. About 38% of the respondents said they wanted to see a new government take over and do a better job with the economy.
The survey also found that a majority of the youths (39%) did not trust the electoral process in Zimbabwe and were therefore not going to vote. Other reasons for not voting included lack of confidence in the candidates (20%), fear of electoral violence (16%), and not being able to get the necessary documentation in time (14%).
The survey also found that most youths who registered to vote were older, with 32% of those in the 31-35 age group registered to vote. Those who said they would not vote were younger, with 40% of those in the 18-20 age group not registered to vote.
The survey also found that there was a lack of knowledge about the electoral process among the youth. For example, 14% of the respondents thought they were voting for the vice president, 6% thought they were voting for ministers, and 3% thought they were voting for the permanent secretary.
However, 97% of the youths said they knew which presidential candidate they would be voting for.
The ERC survey provides valuable insights into the voting intentions of the youths in Zimbabwe. The findings suggest that the youths are disillusioned with the current government and are looking for change. However, the lack of confidence in the electoral process and the lack of knowledge about the process could pose challenges to voter turnout in the 2023 election.
