VOTING BEHAVIOR AMONGST GRADUATE YOUTHS DURING ZIMBABWE’S 2023 HARMONIZED ELECTIONS AN ANALYSIS

The study analyzed voting behavior among graduate youths during Zimbabwe’s 2023 harmonized elections. The Youth Development Model that was developed by the Zimbabwe National Association of Youth Organizations (NAYO) informed the study. The study was purely qualitative with an interpretivist philosophy. The population of the study were graduate youths who belonged to a WhatsApp group named BUSE SW Alumni former Bindura University of Science Education (BUSE) Graduates. The group was made up of about 447 participants. A focus group discussion schedule was used to spearhead a discussion in the group. Data saturation was used to measure the generation of adequate qualitative data. Reflexive thematic analysis was used to analyze the findings. It imaged from the study that the majority of the graduate youths did not vote because they were not registered while some were turned away because their names were not in the voters’ roll despite them having registered. Most of the graduate youths did not vote because they were frustrated with delays and spending time in long queues since ballot papers did not arrive in time. It was found that the majority of the graduate youths held positive attitudes toward the elections with the hope that regime change would liberate them. On the contrary, a few graduate youths were pessimistic about elections showing a loss of hope on the impact of elections in Zimbabwe. It was recommended that Graduate youths should be educated and empowered to embrace themselves in being participants in active politics take up influential decision-making positions and exercise their right to vote.