Citizen feedback coming in via text messages:

Very,very low turn out. Asked some women and they said they don’t know what they are voting for.

CHEGUTU-PEOPLE-VOTING-PEACEFULLY, BUT-DON’T-KNOW-WHAT-THEY-ARE-VOTING-FOR.

Turn out was bad in Mutare.

We went for the referendum; our children & us still have hunger and suffering just like in the book Animal Farm. Clearing a path 4 someone to enjoy while we suffer: no jobs.

The majority of the masses in Byo high dens.sub say are not voting because they haven’t seen the new Constitution and its contents.

Mvuma Constituency has been hit by very serious voter apathy. As of 1630, 3 polling stations had no voters at sight. This is caused by lack of voter education.

Am observing in MUDZI ward 5. No reports of violence.

Here in Bikita South the voter turn out was low because voters don’t know what they are voting 4.

In Zvimba West some politically driven Kraal Heads have been subjecting citizens to line-up behind them at the polls.

History repeats itself. Lobengula voted for what he did not understand. Most Zimbabweans voted for what they do not understand.

There is voter apathy.

Where I have voted, there was very few people.

Am in Hotsprings we never saw a copy of draft constitution, but we are voting.

Chipinge central, ward 2, people are voting peaceful, sharing jokes even with well known thugs who used to harass people.

Low turn out. People cite inaccessibility of draft. So don’t know what to vote for. Feel being taken 4 a ride. Enthusiasm missing. Buhera West ward 3.

There is rampant voter apathy here in Chegutu.

People at Golden Valley & Patchway have come out in large numbers to vote & most of them voted yes, the reason was because both parties said we should vote yes.

Am in Highfield, few people cast their votes but majority are not interested, they seem not to put value into it. More education on voting is required.

Zimbabweans all over the country continue to share their experience of voting in today’s constitutional referendum:

Never saw & taught of the constitutional contents why bothering 2 vote? Voter turnout very poor, Chivi area.

I am at Strathaven shops. Everything okay, people coming: all citizens black, yellow, brown, whites voting.

People don’t know what they are voting for but still they are going to vote becoz they were told to vote yes. It’s calm and peaceful at this side.

The voting of a new constitution in my constituency has been very overwhelming and also noted that some 16-17yr olds who wanted to vote were denied bcoz of age restrictions which really shows that today’s youth want to shape their future by actively exercising their right.

I am in Hatfield, Harare. I voted yes at Hatfield Junior School in the morning together with my wife. I have seen the levels of interest among voters. Of all people, young ladies and man, who have previously shunned local polls, were coming in numbers of unusual dimension. I also liked the long queues in Mbare when I later visited there. Great polling staff too.

Voting for the new constitution is going on very well here in Gokwe though the turnout is very low. People generally don’t know what are they voting for. The only people who are voting are the informed and the literate. No violence recorded so far.

It is not possible for the nation to vote ‘yes’ becoz at least half of the nation did not get the copy of the draft constitution therefore it is wise for the nation to vote ‘no’.

Voting @ Tokwe Primary School, Ward 11, Chivi South started on schedule @7am & by lunchtime some 300 had voted. Peace prevails with no political party activities visible on the ground.

Some people do not vote, is it ignorance or they do not know their rights?

Central Harare is unusually quiet. Most people seem to have taken this moment seriously & it’s a historic moment.

We’ve cast our votes for better change: we want better life not poverty.

What’s shocking in Masvingo West is that people a voting for something they do not know, they were simply told to vote “yes” by their respective parties and they doing just that without any knowledge of what their yes means. Voter turnout high.

People are voting in large numbers at Arcturus but 95% have never come across the Constitution including me.

Feedback coming in from Zimbabweans texting us about their experience of voting in the constitutional referendum:

The referendum is well organized and the ZEC staff is handling citizens in a professional manner. I’m in Ruwa.

I visited 5 polling stations here in Chinhoyi  and people were voting peacefully but the isue was they did not  get full update on the draft. Also young people need to be educated that they should go for vote turn out.

I voted early in the morning but after putting an x I was supposed to fold and showed it to the presiding officers  and I am not sure whether they have saw what I have voted for or not. I am saying so becoz papers are transparent. Thank you.

I won’t vote coz I never saw the so called constitution.

I’m in the Byo CBD. Moving around have seen short Q’s. Voter Apathy.

In Bikita East Ward 15 people are going to vote yes as per their parties instructions. Most say they want next election.

In Chiredzi a lot of people are not voting they said they don’t know what is in this referendum. Only a few people have acess to the media & read the leaflets wich were distributed. They don’t know what 2 vote 4. They don’t give people enough time & information.

In Nyanga the turn up is generally poor citing reasons that the populace lack knowledge on what they are voting for.

It is 12:05 my wife and I have just voted at Zhakata, Area 3, Dangamvura, Mutare, but I saw no other voters leaving nor coming to vote.

It seems Voter Educators did not do their jobs adequately, most of the people I have talked to did not even read the constitution. And most kids above 16 with ID are not aware that they are supposed to vote. Polling stations aren’t exactly overflowing here in Seke but people are steadily coming.

Kubatana is receiving feedback via Twitter, text messages and emails from Zimbabwean citizens:

The afternoon environment at Sadza council hall polling station (Command Centre) is calm&peaceful.The turnout is pleasing&has improved from that of the morning.I have managed to contact all the ERC ward coordinators to assess the atmosphere in their wards & all of them confirmed that there is peace in the polling centres & the turnout is high. Of concern is the presence of central intelligence operatives who are patrolling with cars with no number plates at Sadza Growth Point.Their cars are at times seen parked at the command centre.

I am in Braeside. I voted at Nettleton Junior School. I was in and out under five minutes. The atmosphere was so comforting and peaceful.

I went to vote at around 11am. Once more before going I ran through some pages of the draft constitution just to be sure. When I reached the polling station there were five people ahead of me, as I produced my ID and proceeded to get my paper to vote I felt really important. Everyone was excited. One old man had walked past the gate after voting when he realised that he was leaving his vehicle and quickly ran back to get into the vehicle. Such was the atmosphere where I voted.

I am eager to see whether the number of assisted voters in the referendum will be anything close to those who will be assisted in the election. I also live to see if the same peace will prevail when we cast our next vote. I also wish to find out if Headmen were on the fore, ticking names of those who voted in today’s ballot. Lastly, I wish to find out whether those who voted NO in this election will be sniffed out. Please help in establishing these facts.

Referendum report just in from the Election Resource Centre (ERC):

Slow Start to Referendum Vote
Voting is under way in Zimbabwe’s Constitutional Referendum.  The Referendum commenced on the evening of Friday, the 15th of March 2013 with the placement of ballot boxes and stationing of officials at polling stations.  Voting started today at 07:00 hours at most stations, with reports of a few stations opening a little later. The process has largely been characterised by low turnout in most provinces across the country, particularly in urban areas. While voting has widely been peaceful and orderly, there are however isolated reports of violence and arrests in certain parts of the country.*  Disorder in the form of shortage of ballot papers has also been experienced in Ntabazinduna, Matabeleland. The voting process is scheduled to run until 19:00 hours, at 9 449 polling stations.

Major highlights
- Peaceful voting process in most areas
- General low voter turnout especially in urban areas
- High number of voters being turned away – reasons include presentation of invalid proof of identity, including drivers’ licences, ID numbers on pieces of paper and expired passports

* Seven youths clad ZANU-PF party regalia went to Darlyn 1 Primary School Polling Station in Chakari at 1145hrs with the intention to cast their vote. They were turned away by polling officials for wearing party regalia. On their way from the polling station they met John Musa a known MDC-T supporter and assaulted him. Reports indicate that the seven were arrested.

Kubatana subscribers send in Zimbabwe Referendum feedback via SMS:

At Chinembiri Primary Chitungwiza. No queue, its a walk in and vote sphere. Manned by smiling ZRP members.

At Greystone Park officials outnumber the potential voters.Here everything is good but the problem is that we did not get anyone to teach us about the Constitution and we did not get any book to read. People are voting due to their party leaders who have said its good.

Home and not going any where.

I am at Maware Primary in Chikomba East very few people have cast their votes voter apathy seem to be the order of the day.

I am at Nyamazira, 70 km from Headlands. It is Manicaland province. A few people has come to vote because the COPAC outreach team did not come to our area and no one ever saw the finalised referendum we are supposed to vote for. Its guess work.