Participating in an election is a form of \u201caffirmation\u201d for some transgender people and an opportunity to participate in the democratic process as their authentic self.<\/P>
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This is according to transgender rights activist, Gita November, who has undergone the transition from her birth identity of male to now, a female.<\/P>
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This identity is one she says she will proudly take with her to the polling stations on 1 November, the day of the Local Government Elections.<\/P>
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\u201c[Voting] affirms me in a space where I have been oppressed as a woman and also it speaks to me having the ability to walk in freely into that space and say I am here to cast my vote for a better life,\u201d November told SAnews.<\/P>
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However, November highlighted that although South Africa has made strides in recognising issues of gender and their implications, transgender people still face serious challenges with being officially recognised as their true authentic selves.<\/P>
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In South Africa, Electoral regulations require a registered voter who goes to the polls to produce an Identity Document in order to cast a valid and legal vote.<\/P>
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Although this is a necessary step to protect the integrity of the voting process, November said it may pose a challenge for some transgender people whose appearance may not necessarily correspond with the gender marker \u2013 typically an M for male or an F for female \u2013 on their ID.<\/P>
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That law, however, still allows for a prospective voter to change their official registered names after they have done so through the Home Affairs Department \u2013 which some transgender persons prefer to do.<\/P>
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November emphasised that despite these challenges, she still has the backing of the Bill of Rights in the Constitution, which guarantees that no person can be prevented from voting in \u201celections for any legislative body\u201d and the IEC\u2019s own rules prevent the discrimination of people based on their appearance.<\/P>
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\u201cThe challenge that we have is that the [Home Affairs] department takes [identity changes] very seriously and as a result, it takes long to change the [gender] marker\u2026 It takes up to 18 months and in this case, it has a direct impact on our ability to vote.<\/P>
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\u201cBut even if Home Affairs did not grant us the option to change our gender markers, I can still walk into the voting station\u2026put down my ID and say that it\u2019s not my fault that my ID hasn\u2019t been amended. We need to get people to recognise someone\u2019s gender, regardless of what they were born with or assigned at birth,\u201d she said.<\/P>
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She said that sometimes, South Africans who do not fall under the LGBTQI+ umbrella \u201ctake voting for granted” because their identities \u201cwould never be questioned\u201d.<\/P>
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November said this forms part of the reason she is determined to cast her vote.<\/P>
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\u201cSometimes [cis-gender] South Africans take voting for granted, whereas a lot of transgender individuals in South Africa are being deprived of [the chance to vote]. That\u2019s why when I vote, I will be voting with my conscience to make sure that my family, which is the transgender community, will have a voice,\u201d she said.<\/P>
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Voting for people with a disability<\/P>
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In its mission to include all eligible South Africans in the voting process, the IEC developed the Universal Ballot Template (UBT) aid.<\/P>
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According to the commission’s elections material, the template is designed to assist people who:<\/P>
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Are blind or partially-sighted;<\/P>
Low-vision users;<\/P>
People who are dyslexic;<\/P>
The elderly;<\/P>
People with low literacy and<\/P>
People with motor and nervous conditions that do not allow for a steady hand.<\/P>
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\u201cThe UBT is a voting aid made of hard, black plastic into which a ballot paper is inserted. The template is not a Braille ballot paper. The right front of the template has a flap which has cut-out windows numbered in Braille and in large, raised white print.<\/P>
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\u201cWhen the ballot paper is inserted into the template, each window aligns to a particular candidate or party and the voter is free to make his or her secret and independent mark accurately,\u201d the IEC said.<\/P>
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The commission allows for voters who require assistance to be helped by a companion who is not a party agent, candidate or elections observer.<\/P>
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If none such companion is available, a voting official or the voting station\u2019s presiding officer may provide help.<\/P>
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\u201cThis should be done in the presence of two party agents from different parties and one accredited observer, if available. Where such witnesses are not available, assistance can be rendered in their absence.<\/P>
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\u201cNo witnesses (party agents, candidates or observers) are necessary when a companion assists a voter,” the IEC said.<\/P>
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Source: South African Government News Agency<\/P>
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