Stakeholders in Zambia are keenly anticipating details regarding the level of preparedness for the 2026 general elections, particularly in light of the Electoral Commission of Zambia’s (ECZ) imminent launch of its delimitation exercise report. Dr. Noel Chisebe, a prominent governance and human rights advocate, emphasized the crucial need for transparency, fairness, and impartiality throughout this process. The delimitation exercise aims to create seventy additional constituencies, a significant change that will officially take effect upon the dissolution of Parliament on May 15, 2026.

Dr. Chisebe underscored several key expectations for the ECZ, including ensuring that both the process and its final report are entirely free from bias. He urged the commission to actively address concerns related to constituency boundaries, chiefdom demarcations, and the potential for voter disenfranchisement, which could arise from such significant changes. He highlighted three paramount areas requiring diligent attention from all stakeholders: transparency in proceedings, robust voter education to inform the citizenry, and timely completion of all stages to prevent any delays to the impending 2026 general elections. Dr. Chisebe stressed that the delimitation process must remain open, inclusive, and ensure citizens are adequately informed about all boundary changes and new polling station details.

Providing a detailed roadmap, ECZ Chairperson Mwangala Zaloumis announced that the delimitation exercise will be preceded by extensive stakeholder consultations across all 116 districts from February 16 to 20, 2026. These consultations are designed to gather input before the final boundaries are set. Following this, the 70 new constituencies are slated for publication in the Government Gazette on April 15, 2026. Ms. Zaloumis reiterated that these newly demarcated constituencies will become active on May 15, 2026, coinciding with the dissolution of Parliament. Furthermore, she disclosed that the 2026 voters’ register is scheduled for certification on April 30, 2026, with a prior window provided for members of the public to inspect and verify their voter details.

Complementing these announcements, ECZ Chief Electoral Officer Brown Kasaro clarified that while new constituencies will be formed, no new wards will be created during this delimitation process. However, Mr. Kasaro confirmed that polling districts will undergo reorganization to seamlessly align with the structure of the newly established constituencies, ensuring administrative efficiency and accessibility for voters. This comprehensive process aims to lay a robust foundation for the fair and efficient conduct of the 2026 general elections.