Fact Check: Yes, remove nail polish or artificial nail from your voting finger

Claim: Voter education material circulating on social media warning the electorate that nail polish or artificial nails on the voting finger (smallest finger on your left hand) is not allowed during voting in Zimbabwe’s elections.

Verdict: True

There is no specific law or regulation in Zimbabwe that bans the wearing of nail polish during voting but the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) clarified the matter in a factsheet on the application of indelible ink which states that:

  • On arrival at the polling station, election officials inspect voters for any signs of previous voting by checking for indelible ink markings on their left-hand small fingers.
  • If a voter’s fingernails appear soiled, stained or have polish on them, they will be cleaned using acetone and cotton wool before being marked with indelible ink on the small finger of the left hand.
  • If a voter has a physical handicap that prevents ink marking on their small left finger, the next finger in the sequence will be used.

Source

Zimbabwe Electoral Commission

Women in Politics Support Unit (WiPSU)

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