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Zambia’s electoral body said on Friday that it has rescheduled the voter registration exercise to October this year ahead of next year’s general elections.

The voter registration exercise was supposed to have started in May but it has been postponed due to the outbreak of the COVID-19.

Patrick Nshindano, the chief electoral officer, said the exercise will take place from October 18 for a period of 30 days instead of 60 days.

The electoral body will undertake the registration exercise for new voters while ensuring that current registered voters verify their details.

Nshindano said the electoral body was reviewing the roadmap for elections in view of the COVID-19 outbreak.

“The commission is monitoring events closely as the pandemic unfolds and is, therefore, realigning its electoral calendar. As a consequence, the voter registration exercise that was scheduled to commence in May will commence on starting from October 18,” he told reporters during a press briefing.

The general elections will go ahead on August 12, 2021, in line with the country’s constitution, he said.