Durban – The Electoral Commission of SA (IEC) has reminded voters who will not be in their voting districts on election day (May 29) to notify the commission before May 17.
In terms of section 24(a) of the Electoral Act amended in 2021, voters are no longer allowed to just show up at any polling station to cast their votes.
Before this section came into being, a prospective voter could go to any polling station and be given a form to fill in to say he/she was voting at a station where they did not register to vote, as they would not be appearing on the voters roll of that particular station.
In a statement issued by the KwaZulu-Natal Electoral Commission of SA, chairperson Ntombifuthi Masinga, reminded voters that they must notify the commission at which polling station they would be voting.
“As we approach election day, one of the dates we want to remind South Africans about is May 17. This day is for those who will not be able to be at their voting station on May 29, and had not applied to cast a special vote two days before election day.
“They need to notify the commission of the voting station where they are casting their votes. All they must do is notify the commission so that their names can be added to the new polling station’s voters roll to cast their vote,” said Masinga.
The chairperson warned that failure to notify the commission by May 17 would result in no voting at all.
Clarifying the difference between a special vote and section 24(a), the commission’s provincial spokesperson Thabani Ngwira said those who applied for special voting rights by May 3 which was the deadline were granted the right to vote two days before election day, but emphasised that they will be voting at the polling stations where they registered.
With section 24(a) a voter is allowed to vote at another polling station on election day.
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