A record number of spoiled ballot papers are expected to emerge from the presidential run-off in Mashonaland East province, the hotbed of the political violence that has ravaged the country since April.

Voters in Murehwa, Mutoko, Mudzi, Uzumba Maramba Pfungwa and Goromonzi indicated that people are being bused and trucked to polling stations, against their will.

Kumbirai, our contact in the province, said there was an unusuallyhigh volume of text messages flying around, urging people to go to the polling station and spoil their ballots.

Some of the text messages read; ‘Vote out 400 000 percent inflation, Red card to Mugabe, Mugabe must go, Tsvangirai is the winner,’

Despite the threats of physcial violence against people who boycott the elections, Kumbirai said most people heeded the call to stay at home because it was now an MDC stronghold.

‘The reason why people are shunning the election in Mashonaland East is that so many of those killed in the state sponsored violence were MDC activists, based in many of the districts,’ Kumbirai said.