‘Voters roll closed’
This Friday, the Independent Electoral Commission will be certifying the voters roll, making all the details final and official.
The voting roll stands at 23.6 million people registered, a 1.9 percent increase on the number of voters from previous years.
With two months to go to municipal elections, a detailed election timetable has been published with all the important dates and information for voters and election officials.
IEC spokesperson Kate Bapela said: “This means the voters roll is closed and everyone who did not register before the closing date will not be on the official list.
“Registered voters will be able to check all their details on this roll and confirm that they are registered and which area they must vote in.”
The following dates are important for participants and voters:
- March 25: Political parties have to notify the IEC about their participation in the municipal elections. By 5pm, parties also have to nominate their ward candidates, make nominations of independent candidates, submissions of party lists and payment of deposits for all nominated candidates.
- April 4: The IEC will notify political parties whether there are any non-compliance issues with documents relating to their ward candidate nominations.
- April 12: The IEC will compile a list of the parties contesting the elections and certify all party candidate lists. The list of candidates contesting each ward will also be compiled.
- April 15: This is the start date for voters to apply for special votes, which close on May 3. Details of how to qualify for special votes are available on the IEC website.
- April 21: Copies of the list of voting stations with their addresses will be available at municipal offices. The IEC will also announce the routes for mobile voting stations, the locations and times of stopping. Mobile voting stations will use facilities in areas where there are not many voters and stay for an allocated period before moving to another mobile station in the area.
- April 29: The IEC will issue certificates to persons whose names appear on a party list as well as to each ward candidate.
- May: 16 from 8am to 5pm: Casting of special votes by registered voters who qualify. These voters must vote at the voting station, where they are registered.
- May 17: Home visits to people who have registered and qualified for special votes.
- May 18: Election day.
For more information and to confirm registration details, voters can call the IEC toll free line at 080 011 8000 or visit the IEC website at www.elections.org.za. Voters who want to know where they are registered and where they should vote can send an SMS with their ID number to 32810. – Cape Times
