MIDRAND — With only hours remaining before voting day, the Electoral Commission of South Africa announced its readiness for the seventh National and Provincial Elections.
According to South African Government News Agency, who spoke at a briefing in Midrand on Tuesday, “Our clarion call to all South Africans is – let’s go out in huge numbers and vindicate our democratic right to vote.” The commission praised political parties and independent candidates for conducting relatively peaceful campaigns, emphasizing that the spirit of tolerance and forbearance must continue on Election Day.
Tuesday marked the second day of special votes being cast at 22,626 voting stations and home visits, with 937,144 voters processed over the past two days. The commission stated it would use lessons and experiences from the special voting days to refine operations and improve voter experience on Election Day. “The commission urges all the remaining 26 million eligible voters to go out and cast their votes tomorrow,” said Mamabolo. Voting stations will open at 7:00 a.m. and close at 9:00 p.m., with voters who are in line at closing time allowed to vote.
Voters must vote where they are registered, with the exception of approximately 360,000 voters approved to vote outside their registered districts after notifying the CEO by May 17. The commission reminded voters to bring valid South African identity documents, and outlined the voting process, including verification, ink marking, and receipt of three ballot papers. It is prohibited to photograph marked ballot papers to protect voter secrecy.
The commission also addressed concerns about power outages, stating that load shedding is not expected on voting day. Eskom has assured there will be no scheduled maintenance work or load shedding during the voting period. The Department of Home Affairs will operate its offices from 7:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. to facilitate the collection of identity documents and issuance of temporary identification certificates.
“A key aspect of our preparations included engaging with various stakeholders, including political parties, independent candidates, the media, security and government structures, civil society organizations, community organizations, and voters of South Africa,” Mamabolo said.