THE National Electoral Commission (NEC) has mapped 2,424 polling stations across the country and diaspora ahead of the August 4 presidential polls.

NEC Executive Secretary Charles Munyaneza Munyaneza told reporters Wednesday that the Commission is set to start moving necessary equipment and material to polling stations, starting with the Diaspora’s 98 polling stations.

"In the coming weekend, we shall start with the Diaspora polling stations to ensure that by August 3, all stations will be having all requisite equipment. We want all polling stations to be fully set by August 3. Within the country, this exercise will start on July 31,” he said.

The City of Kigali has the least polling stations, 175, while there are 573 and 563 polling stations in the Western and Southern provinces, respectively.

Northern Province has 443, and Eastern Province 572.

The Commission also announced that its final voters’ register has 6,897,076 voters; women, men and youth being 54 per cent, 46 per cent and 45 per cent, respectively.

NEC Chairperson Prof. Kalisa Mbanda said enough time was given to enable Rwandans to register as well as validate their personal details.

People who will attain 18 years of age on the Election Day, he explained, are already counted in the updated list of voters and will only turn up to vote and need not register afresh.

According Prof. Mbanda, arrangements are being finalised to ease the voting process come August 4.

"We are putting good effort into making the process more convenient and this includes facilities at polling stations,” Prof. Mbanda said.

Furthermore, Munyaneza said, "Registering was concluded and we are going to proceed with publishing voter lists at polling stations. The only thing allowed now is a voter to change a polling station and this can only happen not later than July 22.”

Change of polling stations (in the event that someone has changed locality) can be done on the NEC website or on phone.

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