The Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) on Monday urged eligible voters across the country to visit voting stations this weekend in order to update the voters’ roll in preparation for the 2019 general elections.
An expected 22 612 voting stations around the country will be open on 10 and 11 March between 8am and 5pm to register both first-time voters and those who want to re-register for reasons such as having moved to a new ward, town or province.
The IEC is hopeful that this weekend will help the organisation obtain addresses of all registered voters as demanded by a Constitutional Court ruling in 2016, which gave the electoral commission until June 2018, to update the voters’ roll with all available addresses.
KwaZulu-Natal’s IEC Electoral Manager, Mawethu Mosery, said in Durban yesterday that acceptable types of addresses included a street address, site/house address, residential complex address or a place name for urban dwellers.
For rural addresses voters need to provide village names, the tribal authority and town as well as a descriptive place name.
“South African citizens aged 16 and older and in possession of a bar-coded ID book, smart card ID or a temporary ID certificate can register as voters,” he said.
“They will be assisted to complete a registration form providing their home address at which they ordinarily reside, which will allow the electoral commission to place them in the correct voting district. Proof of residence is not required.”
To check if you are registered, call 0800 118 000 on weekdays, or SMS your ID number to 32810, or visit www.elections.org.za/MyIEC.