Tanzania's electoral body sets over 80,000 polling centers ahead of general election
Each of the polling centers will cater for less than 500 voters according to Tanzania's deputy electoral commission chairman. PHOTO | NMG
Tanzania's electoral body announced on Tuesday it has set a total of 80,155 polling centers ahead of the October 28 general elections.
Mbarouk Salim Mbarouk, the vice-chairman of the National Electoral Commission (NEC), said 79,670 out of the 80,155 polling centers have been set in mainland Tanzania and 485 centers in the Zanzibar archipelago.
"Each of the polling centers will cater for less than 500 voters," Mbarouk told a meeting of election stakeholders in the capital Dodoma.
He said arrangements have been made for voters with special needs, including the deaf, people with disabilities, and aged people. Giveness Aswile, NEC's director for information and voter's education, said preparations for the election were in full swing.
"NEC has started receiving facilities for the polls and ballot papers will be supplied close to the elections," said Aswile.According to the NEC, about 29 million Tanzanians have registered to vote in this year's election, compared to some 23 million voters registered in 2015. Tanzania has a population of about 57 million.
