The Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) today issued a press briefing in which they said, among other things:

This election has been a huge farce. Its credibility has been marred by administrative and legal violations which affect the legitimacy of its outcome. The election has been heavily manipulated. In our view, the outcome of this election is illegitimate. But more importantly, the shoddy manner in which it has been conducted and the consequent illegitimacy of the result will plunge this country into a serious crisis.

In its preliminary statement on the Harmonised Elections, the Zimbabwe Election Support Network (ZESN) said:

Based on the empirical reports from our observers, regardless of the outcome, the credibility of the 2013 Harmonised Elections is seriously compromised by a systematic effort to disenfranchise an estimated million voters. We reiterate that, it is not sufficient for elections to be peaceful. For elections to be credible they must offer all eligible citizens a reasonable opportunity to register to vote; to inform themselves about the candidates; to vote on election day and for their votes to be properly counted. We are deeply concerned that for urban voters the first three principles have already been violated.

We shared this information with our SMS subscribers. Here are some of their responses in their own words:

• Only that he is not the one speaking, he wants to satisfy his masters not Zims (if he is normal aidyiwa semi kumba kwake, tell the zesn kuti yadyiwa neimwe yacho! Bhora mugedhi Buhera he has two councillors only
• What’s the way forward?
• Help us God. Going back to those days of no water, no food, no electricity again
• Feel very sad today,
• Election was free and fair. Tsvangirai clanged to power yet he was decampaigning himself messing each n every day he should have let someone better lead the party rather than put the party in a plunge. Results are more than fair, the Tsvangirai youth didn’t register neither did they vote so how could they win
• Yes we all know that but what can be done about it MDC is powerless
• What is the way forward
• MDC people were arrogant they did not plan they should have boycotted at the initial stage during registration.
• So what can we do now
• So what is next?
• What is the way forward
• Its important to let people known the truth, and not jus rhetoric and outbursts that lack evidentiary material…whose legitimacy and illegitimacy here?
• We are so desperate we no longer know what to do we a just praying to God to intervene
• It’s ok, lets leave to the God.
• We ready for anything Zimbabwe ngeye ropa not yezvimbwasungata aluta continua
• Sham election. The worst rigging ever.
• Tsvangirai is sometimes a cry baby it is to early to rush into making such statements
• This election was not legitimate in some areas. Some did not vote. I was an agent & @ e polling station were i was 114 people did not vote because there was  less tym 2 register and some because of fear.
• If Zanu wins there is going to be another crisis in Zim with people flocking to SA and other neighbouring countries.
• Why did Tsvangson participate in the fist place? Hatichamuvimbi. (We’ve lost faith in him.)

As Zimbabweans went to the polls for the 31 July Harmonised Election, we asked them to tell us where they were and what they were seeing in their areas. We received hundreds of responses, which we’ve shared at our crowdmap here. Some of those responses which we couldn’t map are below.

In general, the feedback we received was that voting itself was peaceful and calm, but that in some places the queues were long and moved very slowly. Some voters complained that ballot papers were faint and it was difficult to make out candidates, particularly in dim lighting.

• Voted well but the police are not allowing to talk to people on the line after you have voted.
• l voted at Gaika primary school everythng is well by then.
• Evrything is going peacifully. We have finished it.
• No enough light in voting booths to see clearly. Tsvangirai’s image and symbol too small compared to Ncube’s MDC.
• My friend renounced her S.A. Citizenship officially but her name not appearing in the role inspite of having voted in the recent referendum and in the last election ! Now name inexplicably missing !
• Done. Time in queue 1hr 15 min.
• Vote is on smoothly no cheating
• Now everything is ok
• Good so far
• I feel quite sad, having given up my Zim passport many years ago so i can nt vote 4 the country i love. My friend took 2.5hrs to vote..
• The process was too slow.Mostly young and middle aged people were voting excitedly. Peace was prevailing.
• Many people are saying they don’t want a runoff this time.Some have travelled distances to areas where they are registered voters.
• Didnt expect such an excellent service, really! I got there at 11am and within one and half hrs im done! Everything done peaceful.They proved us wrong.
• Which votes are counted for the list of candidates for the senate? There was no ballot paper for the senate
• I am at Spaceman shops open centre, it’s not moving pliz. I suspect those go slow tactic. can u tell those voters queueing there to go to kundai primary sch. the queue is moving like hell pliz.
• Have already casted, queue was short but slow service delivery. Delimitation of constituencies confusing.
• Voting going on well
• Rocked the vote al ok
• Ques are now all over. Silent voting, emagine.
• Peaceful just like a weekend
• There are going wel there is peace now
• Its now very frustrating bcoz its now moving at a snail speed. I hv got on the line at 730am & it now seems i will hv 2hrs more to cast my vote.
• Im at Mafakela Polling station as a agent people so far abt 480 voted
• Did cast my vote at 0758 the situation is ok,
• We will not manage, position thousand plus. Reg at no 3 hundred smthing.
• Pace is very slow since early morning we are hardly standing in queue its so tough.
• Females at my polling station. I believe the same might be true of the other station on the opposite block. The que on my station has now disapeared as at 11.45 as almost all pple have been served
• Voting is going well peace full,but the voters roll seems to be in shambles .in some polling stations new voters names are not being found and names of people who transferred ten years back still appear.
• Pliz tell Zimbabwean to look careful 4 the candidate they want becoz ballot papers a of poor quilty
• Ye! Gud going what an atmosphere. We feel the winds of change. We need change
• Its okay. Have voted already.
• Some polling station a 2 dark and balot peper a 2 small if yr go on the light yr can see yr candidate
• I at Murahwa Polling Satatoin. The line is going in good way New bigning New Zimbabwe.
• Rocking the vote
• At dema polling station the voting is peaceful lot of youngstars ready to cast change imminent
• Nice but they are delaying
• Everything looks like my side has more people, anyway lets not talk more wait and see ?
• I voted today
• Its slow. Checking of voters roll taking too long
• Ok everyone is vote in free
• It is a day that god shoud bles
• Yes new gvt coz present
• All fine!
• So far so good
• Things are tough people are being sent home .names not found
• I am at chaka bussiness center voting is going on very well.
• We are not happy we are seeing security agents who stare at you. Ward 17
• Just like 28 March 2008
• Everything is going well pple still vote
• I cast my vote in peace
• I voted around 0713am hwevr pple dnt actual express their views bcz of fear intemedation bcz one big political party knw that it dsnt hve support at al
• Its okay
• Yes becoz time is now
• It seems voting is going on very well. I cast my vote around 9am after joing the single queue (male & female were not separated) at around 5.30am with clo
• The day and the voting is cool.pple a exercising their rigts
• Zimbabwe needs a new government Bcoz the current one is selfish.. does not have people at heart, is cruel to it’s people, is are not democratic,people in it are wealth looters & they don’t respect the will of the people..
• Is it party of polling officer to write names of all voters in exercise book
• Everything is okay
• The is nice for now keep watching
• Iam at glen forest school its so nice no problem
• Long queues at Patchway primary. I’m on line to vote since 8Am. I’m tired of standing. Maybe iw cast my vote in an hours time from now. Order there but line moving slowly
• Going good no noise
• Cool this is zimbabwe
• Am impressed with the turnover and patients of people at Chirundazi polling station ward 3. Am still on the que and hoping to be served in the next hour.
• Iam IN aqueue to vote iam seeing many people voting.
• THE VOTING IS GOING WELL,NO TOITOI,NO INITIMIDATION BUT SOME AREAS IS RAIN AND COLD.
• Mat south lots of enthusiasm
• I am really disppointed after spending 1h30m to make a positive change only to be told that my name is not on the voters roll. What a shame on zec
• At masvori high chiundura6 45q mid q vibrant voter trafic pipol eager vol to incriz as it gets wom chily wether
• I’m happy and i know this is the begining of my life my dream has come true
• The silence looks like an important person is dead let alone crowding at one polling station in wd 13 in 07.
  I’ve casted mine no challenges.
• Vote is running smoothly if fair we all we vote for change
• We have voted we want him to go tomorrow
• Voting went well no violence by two pm ps were empty
• In our area the day is calm though voters vow 4 a change
• In e morning e turn out was high and Violent Free
• I saw uniformed ZRP  WHO VOTED TODAY.WHERE IS THE PROOF THAT THEY DIDNT VOTE DURING THE SPECIAL VOTE & THEY ARE NOW DOING IT FOR THE SECOND TIME
• It was so good
• All is fine people are doing well the youths are highly participating in the process
• Most of the people were turned away without voting simply becoz they registered to vote after the 10TH Of july.why then were they allowed 2 register then?
• After casting our votes, some ZANU PF leaders were waiting just some 50 metres away writting for those voted for ZANU PF( those were the ward  and  cell leaders).
• Voting is fantastic today i am happy i cast my vote.
• The ink used is washable why?
• Voting was nice l thnk we ar going t hav ne ZiM
• Soidiers police have voted again
• Well i voted for new zimbawe today, but so many question left unanswered , how can the so called special vote 40 000 pple given two good days to vote whilist 6;4 million is given a day to vote
• I think I did the tight thing mmmmmm
• Changara const u are required to surrender your name
• Many youths did not see their names in the voters roll.
• Whyz tht gondo harishayi is in charge not real constable in all polling stations, i suspect irregularities .And some fellows’ names could not  be found why ?
•  I am fine  voting was going well and together We can Make it
• Good and nice
• I dont see anthing bad sofar if continues licke that it will be better.
• We are waiting for the results, Yes need diversity
• Everything is good!
• Here the votes were peaceful,only that the number of people returned home without voting was too high-do you have latest information about the results?
• What is happening on the ground is people were systematicaly told to pretend as if they are blind or as if they do not know what to do during voting so as to be assisted by sabhuku in rural areas, in towns like Rusape to be assisted by a strong zanu pf member, it was a systematicaly arranged silent harrasment
• Many rural areas were already given a date for a run off  to make them aware that if they do not vote for zanu pf  yesterday they are going to be infor it like the 2008 run off ,the will  of the people is not going to be reflected i tell you
• My side was better no violence
• How many observers watched every step of the counting? If thet didn’t they shouldn’t sign the returns form
• Fine
• Thank u Kubatana I can’t go without u.I managed to vote yesterday peacefully bt in my locality they was a men who was attacked from polls
• Joined the voting queue @ 1019 hrs and had to cast my vote @ 1224 hrs everthing was ok
• At last  from 5:20AM  i have  managed to cast my precious vote at 1700hrs
• I am an agent at Magadzire polling station voting is peacefully

Zimbabweans around the country are texting us with their feedback on Zimbabwe’s Election voting day. You can read a few below, and we’re compiling them on our Crowdmap, so take a look (and refresh the map often!)

• I have gone to Ward 29 Zvimba South. The process is very slow.
• In Budiriro 3, long long lines and slow process. MDC-T very faint on the ballot slips and is last.
• I’m done at Chinembiri Pri, Seke. In a 300 metre queue, 2hrs 18 minutes. Heavy turnout.
• Already voted in Chitungwiza Dzidzai Primary. All went well, queues moving nicely. In less than 30 minutes we were done.
• Voting is too slow and some of the names are not on the roll so we are voting with registration certificate. Chitepo Sec School, Zvimba East.
• In Goromonzi, Rusike at St Dominics Nora Primary. The polling process is in progress. No problems. About 300 ppl voted and the queue is declining.
• Am in Murehwa. Went to vote early morning. Many people came early. Queues were very long. SADC vehicles and JOMIC were moving around.
• In Bikita East voting going on peacefully, short queues.
• Gokwe Central. Voter turnout high. No incidents witnessed.
• My polling station (Avondale) full of police in uniform queueing to vote.

We just got this in from a subscriber – So if you think you’re not on the voters’ roll, maybe it’s worth just double checking – Maybe you are!

Re aliens and Zim Voting: My husband and I got the surprise of our lives this morning. As ‘aliens’, my husband and my names were not on the Online Voters Roll and we were not allowed to vote in 2008, when our names had been removed from the voters role. So my husband took a stroll to our Polling station (Eastridge School) this morning and decided check. Just in case. His name and mine were both on the list and he was allowed to VOTE! I’m about to go now and stand in the queue. So please post and encourage ‘aliens’ to take the chance and go and check. Please put word out! (Also 60′s and over can request to go to front of queue). Also be advised to use your own pens! Word has it that pens with refills that fade after 4 hours are inserted in regular ballpoints in MDC strongholds. I doubted this, but then read that this had indeed been a ploy of the Israelis’s that played out in Kenya.

It’s polling day in Zimbabwe’s harmonised election, and Kubatana has been receiving more updates from our subscribers. Get more election information at our special index page on the 31 July election.  You can also check out our crowdmap of citizen reports and read more vox pops here, here and here.

• I am waiting for a big day from Chimanimani
• Pane kusawirirana pawepo kuNyanga  zanu pf  nenyaya yemagwere (There is some misunderstanding in Magwere Zanu-PF, Nyanga)
• Hi, I live in Mbare. I have just received the water, sewer and refuse bill! So Chombo’s promise to cancel these is just hogwash.
• Zec nezanu vaneuttsinye those  registerd to vote were deployed where they cant vote vanogara kwavaigona kuvota vakanyimwa mabasa.manje takatopanduka chose. (ZEC and Zanu are evil. Those who are registederd to vote were deployed where they cannot vote.)
• ZEC has betrayed most polling officers by deploying us outside our wards yesterday, how then are we going to vote. Beitbridge
• I am a mdc-t  staunch supporter. I was greatly disturbed yesterday midnight by messages i received from zanu pf on my  netone line. I was persuaded to vote mr r g mugabe. My question is how did zanu pf got my cell numbers. I know the culprit is netone. May zimbabweans remind netone that it is illegal. I also witnessed it during referendum.
• Bulk sms sending was banned till after the elections bt i received a political msg on my phone. Shouldn’t i sue the network provider? I hear a lot of pple received the same msg too! Seems we have sacred cows!
• Today Zimbabweans are making a mark for their destiny. I have done my part in Kwekwe Central.
• Voted at Kuwadzana 6 Primary, Harare all is well, queues moving fast, many people voting.
• Harare: Courtney Selous 104 places down the queue. Approx 300 ish. Single file mostly. Quiet. Chisi School Friend is 10th in queue.
• KUMAKONI SOUTH mamwe mastations ene very few presidential ballot papers
• No netone to netone One hr talk untill hameno…. No Telcel to Econet call untill hameno. Econet internet is so and so . Whatsup inteferences untill hameno. Who is to be blamed .  No electonic voters roll until hameno.  No education untill hameno. Today zesa was up and down and who is to be blamed kwanzi nerimwe bato masanctions. Hahahahaha

Just two days before Zimbabwe’s 31 July Harmonised Election, Zimbabweans continue to share their observations and experiences with Kubatana. You can view our map of crowdsourced election experiences, and also read other comments here, here and here.

• Mapurisa akavhota nezuro kuno varikuvhotera panzvimbo iprivate kuGlendale (Police voted yesterday at a private location in Glendale) frm yesterday and today.  Election daylight robbery.
• 3 days ago I was chased by ZPF district chairman at the meeting held at Chikundu Growth Point and accused of being an MDC supporter.
• Rigging has started with ZEC moving teachers from wards they registered to be polling officers outside their wards. Are they going to exercise their right to vote?
• Chirumhanzu Zibagwe have opened a base. ZPF youths singing around the community scaring people.
  Polling officers some of them are youth officers so this will also intimidate people as they are some people who were involved in beating people up last time.
• Mudzi DA is like a thorn in a cow dung he is causing havoc to anyone whom he suspects to be from Red team crew.
• About 600 students on presidential scholarship summoned at state house to vote
• Serious flaws discovered upon opening postal ballot papers in Rusape Makoni Central constituency. Ward 1: 11 registered voters 17 envelopes received, Dombo Building: registered 55, envelopes received 145, ward 8: registered 1, envelops received 3.
• I m not feeling comfort with what is going to be the results of my party
• Having seen the attendance of today’s Zanu pf rally in Gweru I cast out doubt on his praises from masses of people. I used to see people coming for his rallies by force thus why they were coming in big numbers not this time, but on their own its one which may doubt early change. Some who did not attend are crying about his age. History is his shield that people may say he love Zimbabwe but why committed to such an age raises eyebrows.
• Never never allow ballot boxes to be moved before they are counted. Command centre for what? They want to rig never allow them
• Help, here in Zvimba North Zanu pf District chairman Owen Muronzi and Tichaona Mugeri are polling officials they led the political beatings in 2008 and have been involved in Friday the 26 burning of Citrus Inn in Raffingora belonging to a Miriam Chombo supporter
• In Mt Darwin town people are being forced to cast their votes in designated poling stations according to the political branch they belong to. You can not choose a poling station even if its in the same ward.
• Hello Zimbabweans. Its less than 3 weeks when i warned you that violence can start anytime in Mberengwa.  Look at what happens yesterday. The president of Progressive Teachers Union of Zimbabwe who is the Mdc-T candidate for Mberengwa North constituency was attacked . He was severely injured on the face. His car was also damaged. When i told you, some of you failed to believe.
• I am in Doma farming areas and i have attended a lot of patrotic front meetings and leaders are telling people that they must write down the serial number or crame it so that it wil be easy for them to identify where the person hv voted. Also that the people must go to vote of the same village with their subchief. That the people must not mix with other villages.
• At mdc t rall even zanu pf members where there without harased imagine if it was a zanu rally
• Quite a number of polling offcers a not going to vote due to them displaced frm their areas is this fair