The reasons for low voter turnout in Tanzania

Tutuma Bonifasi · 2014-09-08T13:46:25+00:00

Voter turnout is the total number of eligible voters that turn out for an election. Voting is considered the most important form of political participation in a democracy. However, in recent years most election has indicated a fall of voter turnout in elections in both new and established democracies. This implies low citizen's political participation. To a newly democratizing country like Tanzania the persistence of the problem is not a good indication in the struggle to build a democratic society. Tanzania re-introduced competitive multiparty democracy in 1992 after a period of 30 years of monopolistic single party regime. Since then Tanzania has held three general elections, four civic elections and fourteen parliamentary by-elections. While general elections have enjoyed a voter turnout of above 60%, civic and parliamentary by-elections have suffered a low voter turnout of less than 30% in some elections. The following are the reasons for low voter turnout in Tanzania; Selling of vote (by buying ID Card), buying by strategists from both the ruling and opposition parties could be the root cause of the low voter turnout noted in recent by-elections and the 2005 general election. More than 130,000 voters registered with the National Electoral Commission (NEC) in Busanda in the weeks running up to the by-election, but only about 55,000 voted last Sunday. Inside sources within Chama Cha Mapinduzi say strategists from CCM traded voter cards for mattresses in Busanda, exploiting the abject poverty that so many registered voters face in order to stifle democracy in the area. While CCM was quick to accuse opposition party Chadema of buying voter cards, inside information shows that the ruling party also participated in the dirty politics especially in the areas where it faced stiff opposition. Illiteracy issues, some of the citizens they are not aware about the significance of voting during the general election especially in the rural areas. This cause the diminishes of the number of voters during the election. They don't know that is their rights to participate in the election and choosing leaders. Furthermore the voters lack civic political education about the importance of voting during choosing leaders whose should brought the development. Examples in Kalenga constituency most of the youth were not participated during by election 2014 where Hon. Godfrey Mgimwa won the election, this was due to the ignorance of the majority of the citizens about the importance of voting hence became among the cause of voters turn out in Tanzania. Ballot and voter equipment problems, in Tanzania has the challenges of transporting the voters equipment in the polling station timely, particularly at the peripheral areas where stated to vote even up to 10:30 am due to delaying of voters equipment. This made the majority of the voter to disappear during the voting day. They seems as they waste their time. Long lines and fixable poll procedures, (Chaligha :1997) due the scarcity of polling station in the certain constituencies accommodated by the huge number of the people, when it comes to the election people they don't tend to stay in a long way waiting for voting hence they quit to vote. The voters stand long time waiting for voting procedural which sometimes having the shortage of staffs to monitor and provides the instruction to the voters. This leads to voters turn out. Intimidations from coercive forces such as Army forces at the polling station create fear to the voters. For example during the Zanzibar election of 2010 the police with their equipment surrounded the polling station holding the guns with the umbrella of preserving the peace. These intimidate the normal citizens and create fear when they saw the police around the polling hence became the factor of influencing the voter turnout. Violence during the election create fear to the voters especially the by election conducted at Arusha to feed the Municipals councilors. This made the voter to turn out due to the fact that some of the voters threatened by the existing situation done by the police. Some of the people were bitten by the police. Loose of ID vote card where by the large number of voters they misplace their voter ID hence during the voting day they fail to vote, also the complexity procedure of getting another ID card become hindrance for the people to vote. Some of the people leaving the place where they are registered to vote for stance if persons shifted from Dar es salaam to Kigoma where he/she was registered at Dar es Salaam so disqualified to vote at Kigoma. In different parts of the country these cause the voter turnout. Lack of trust to the candidates and the political parties (Ballighton: 2001), the voters lack trust to the contesting candidate if surely they brought the development to the societies, this made them to turn out during the election. In the large number of the Tanzanian members of the parliament and the ward councilors when once elected they forget to brought and enhance the development project in their areas hence made people lose hope so they decided to turn out during the election. But also some of the existing political parties in Tanzania the party manifesto are not clear addressed. Other political party relies on tribalism and religious hence divide the citizens among the groups, so these enhance the voter turnout in Tanzania. People simply do not want to vote. Other people are undecided on who they want to vote for, so they do not choose anyone. Most of the people they thought that there is no importance of participating in election due to the loose of hope. They think that participation in voting is the politics, so they had the perception of not involving on political affairs, so this cause the voter turnout in Tanzania. Generally it can conclude that the remedial measures to be taken in order to increase voter participation in elections. This can be done by reforming electoral systems and laws, increasing stakeholder participation as well as introducing vigorous civic and voter education. Participating in campaigns, joining political parties and interest groups and contesting for an election. [1] Ballighton, J (2001). Youth and Political Participation: Tuned In or Tuned out. Pg.24. [2] Chaligha, E.A. (1997) "Management of the Elections: the Role of the National Electoral Commission. Pg. 44. [3] Kuenzi, M and G. M. S. Lambright (2007) Voter Turnout in Africa's Multiparty Regimes. Pg. 46.

Thread starter Tutuma Bonifasi
Start date Sep 8, 2014

Tutuma Bonifasi

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The reasons for low voter turnout in Tanzania

Tutuma Bonifasi

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