X marks the spot: Survive Polling Day.
Dudzai Mureyi
The excitement is palpable.
I visited a utilities company office on July 20, and I absent-mindedly asked for the date while filling out a form. The officer assisting me quipped, ‘It’s ten days to go!”
When we began our collective journey towards our own elections, it felt for me like the date would never arrive. Yet, here we are.
I have never understood how my American friends can endure more than a whole year of active campaigning during their election season without losing interest. The constant bombardment with election material, fake news, real news, breaking news, tweets public service announcements, live videos, rallies, interviews, debates, exposes, and election ads from opposing teams, that I have engaged with, would leave me utterly jaded if they were to happen for a year.
Let me not keep you. We’ve all heard and read, times without number, the list of items we must carry to our respective polling stations in order to be allowed to vote. Allow me to saddle you with one more list. Because there’s life after casting out ballots, we must not lose sight of what’s important – our health and wellbeing. I am therefore not going to pontificate about health policy today. Instead, I will just present quick tips on how to keep well as we perform this all important civic responsibility.
The sheer number of contesting candidates and registered voters (among them many first-time voters) in this round of elections has me betting that we might to be stuck with long ballot papers and long slow-moving queues on July 30. It is a bet I’m happy to lose. My tips are therefore motivated by my expectation that voters may need to endure queuing for quite a considerable amount of time. Don’t assume that you will just dash to the polling station, vote and dash back home. Carry all you’ll need to survive and enjoy the experience.
Ablution facilities.
Efforts to find out from the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission about the ablution arrangements that will be in place at polling stations and polling tents did not yield responses. Phone lines rang unanswered, emails to the enquiries desk have not been replied and tweets were ignored. I’m however hopeful that ample provisions in this regard will be arranged for. However, to err on the side of caution, my advice would be to avoid caffeinated drinks, fizzy drinks, spicy food, artificial sweeteners, citrus fruits and fruit juices, chocolate, tomato-based products or alcoholic beverages a few hours before you set out to join the polling queue. Instead, snack on foods that keep at bay, the urge to take bathroom breaks. Bananas are a good choice. They also have the added benefit of having a protective peel. If you are unable to wash or otherwise sanitise your hands before eating, the banana peel will act as nature’s serviette as you eat it so that your hands don’t contaminate the part of the banana that’s eaten.
If you’re on medication that makes you frequent the bathroom, for example, diuretics, and you usually take a morning dose, it is a good plan to ask your pharmacist if you can postpone your dose and take it in the late afternoon instead, to make your voting experience less uncomfortable.
Food and drink
In the communications to ZEC that were unfortunately not responded to find out if the vending of food and water at polling stations will be permitted. Voters with conditions that require scheduled meals, for example, diabetic patients, are advised to carry along snacks to avoid complications of low blood sugar. Be sure not to litter after munching away!
Beat the chill…
The weather might be a little on the nippy side on July 30 as it has been on many days of this, my birthday month. Do wrap up and keep warm, in addition to minimising unnecessary hand contact with fellow voters who may be unwitting carriers of colds and flu bugs. It is a good idea to carry with you and use some hand sanitizer if you can.
While blocking out the sun…
For those like me with skin and eyes that can attest to the brutality of the Zimbabwean sun, I implore you to make like Barden-Powell’s boy scouts and be prepared. Sunhats, sunglasses and sun screen lotions are your friends. Take them with you on poling day – for you know not how long you will be standing in the open sun for. I do hope that persons living with albinism will be afforded accommodations to minimise their exposure to the sun as they too, cast their vote.
Be kind to your feet…
It goes without saying but nevertheless, do wear feet-loving shoes ideal for standing. For arthritis sufferers who are for any reason unable to negotiate for speedy voting at the polling station, if needs must, bring a foldable camping chair or a cloth to sit on why don’t you?
…and be kind to other voters
Above all, be kind. Help the disabled if they will let you. Give directions to the toilets or to the food vendor. Keep an eye on the infirm. Assist the injured and fainters if you’re qualified. Defuse potentially heated arguments. Be each other’s keeper. In other words, let the warm Zimbo spirit possess you on July 30 and beyond.
See you on the other side of the election. May the best candidates to take Zimbabwe forward win.
