Electoral Commission urges eligible voters to register for special votes

The Electoral Commission is urging eligible voters to register for special votes for the upcoming local government elections. Registration for special votes will be open on the 20th of September to the 4th of October.

It says this is to try minimise long queues and crowding on the day of elections because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Co-operative Governance Minister Nkosazana-Dlamini Zuma has announced that the local government elections will take place on the 1st of November.

Chief Electoral Officer, Sy Mamabolo has called on the public to help the commission comply with COVID-19 protocols for the duration of the elections.

“Election day has to be one day  in law. The two days preceding election day for special votes is intended precisely to accommodate on this occasion even the need to decongest on the election day. So we want to urge South Africans that the categories of special votes are broad enough to allow people to make an application to say I would rather go on a Saturday or rather go on Sunday.”

Minister Dlamini-Zuma’s briefing on elections: