The Electoral Commission of South Africa says it’s all systems go for 22 609 voting stations across the country to open on 10 and 11 March 2018 for the general registration and address ‘harvesting’ weekend.
The IEC says doors will open at 8am on Saturday 10 March and Sunday 11 March 2018 for eligible voters to check and confirm their addresses on the voters’ roll, or to register as voters. This general registration weekend is an important stage of the preparations for the 2019 national and provincial elections, the IEC says.
The IEC says:
All 22 609 voting stations around the country will open between 8am and 5pm over the weekend to:
• Allow registered voters whose address details are not on the voters’ roll to provide this information;
• Assist new voters to register; and
• Allow already registered voters who have moved since they registered to re-register in their correct voting district. Voting stations will be staffed by over 73 000 election officials, 42% of who are young people (under 35), 64% of who are unemployed, and 73% of who are women
Find your correct voting station and bring your ID
Voters must visit the voting station in their voting district. It is important to visit the correct voting station. To find your correct voting station, please call the Electoral Commission’s contact centre on 0800 11 8000, or visit http://maps.elections.org.za/vsfinder/ and locate your correct voting station using the Electoral Commission’s Voting Station Finder App. Registered voters can also SMS their ID number to 32810 to receive an SMS containing the address of their current voting station (charged at R1).
Voters are reminded to take their green barcoded identification (ID) book, or smart ID card or valid temporary ID certificate. 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.
VOTING STATIONS IN MAKANA in 2014
We have been unable to open the links on the IEC website for an updated list – the Electoral Commission told Grocott’s Mail their website is down today – but most of the stations are likely to remain the same.Transriviere Community Hall, Alicedale
Ntsika Secondary School, Joza
Indoor Sports Centre, Joza
Ntlebi Lower Primary School, Joza
Noluthando Hall, Joza
Nombulelo Secondary School, Joza
Tantyi Hall, Tantyi
Mary Waters Secondary School
Samuel Ntsiko Primary School
BB Zondani Hall
Fikizolo Lower Primary School
Nathaniel Nyaluza Secondary School
Hill Street Library
Graeme College
Recreation Hall, Albany Road
St Aidan’s complex
Rhodes Theatre
Assumption Development Centre
Mayfield Clinic
Kutliso Daniels Secondary School
Hooggenoeg Hall
Alfred Dike Kota Hall, Riebeeck East
Carlisle Bridge Farm School
Sidbury Hall
Highlands Tent
Seven Fountains Sports Club
Salem Club Hall
Manley Flats Sports CLub
Koonap Community Hall
Frasers Camp SHop
Committees Drift Police Station
Collingham (Pinewood School)
Douglas Heights
Gardener’s Gate
Addressing the voters’ roll
The IEC says this registration weekend is evidence of its early start to its preparations for the 2019 elections, expected to take place between May and August 2019.
“Critically, this registration weekend is a milestone towards the culmination of a two-year project to obtain addresses for all registered voters by June 2018. It is also an opportunity to ensure that voters are registered in the correct voting district segments.”
In 2016 the Constitutional Court ruled that the Electoral Commission had until June 2018 to update the voters’ roll with all available addresses. The IEC said over the past two years the Electoral Commission had made significant progress in updating addresses on the voters’ roll including:
• Increasing the proportion of complete addresses from 34% of registered voters in March 2016 to 75% of registered voters currently;
• Reducing the proportion of incomplete or generic addresses from 34% in March 2016 to 14%; and
• Reducing the percentage of registered voters without any recorded address from 32% to approximately 11%.
The following are the current voters’ roll statistics:
Voter’s roll category Number of registered voters*
Complete address 19 418 210 (75%)
REC AS address 115 142 (0.4%)
Incomplete/generic address 3 551 266 (14%)
No recorded address 2 815 160 (11%)
Total registered voters 25 899 778
*As at 30 November 2017
“Despite its best efforts to collect the addresses of voters, the Electoral Commission does not have addresses for 2.8 million voters,” the Commission said. “A further 3.5 million addresses are currently classified as “incomplete” or “generic”.
“The voters’ roll is a fundamental safeguard for free and fair elections. It is an instrument for facilitating electoral participation, which is placed at the disposal of political parties for campaign purposes. It serves a functional purpose as a planning tool for accurate provision of electoral material and the avoidance of electoral fraud,” said Chief Electoral Officer, Sy Mamabolo.
Mamabolo urged all voters to make every effort to visit their voting stations this weekend.
“We are ready to open all the voting stations this weekend for all voters to easily update their address details on the voters’ roll, and for first-time voters to register. We need voters to show up and make use of the opportunity,” he said.
Extended hours for Electoral Commission’s contact centre and Home Affairs offices
Given the high caller demand to date, the Electoral Commission’s contact centre – which can be reached by dialling 0800 11 8000 – will be open from 8am to 8pm today, Friday 9 March 2018, and this weekend from 8am to 5pm both days to assist voters to find their correct voting station and to answer any queries.
The Department of Home Affairs has offered the Electoral Commission its full cooperation in registration initiatives. It has indicated that it will open its offices from 8am to 5pm on 10 and 11 March 2018 to facilitate the:
• Collection of green, barcoded ID books and smart ID cards; and
• Immediate issuance of temporary ID certificates.
Voters can enquire about the status of their ID and smart ID cards without physically visiting Home Affairs offices by SMSing the word “ID” followed by your ID number to 32551. Each SMS sent costs R1. They can also call the Home Affairs contact centre number on 0800 60 11 90.
Online registration
The Electoral Commission’s online facility available at https://www.elections.org.za/MyIEC/ remains active for registered voters with access to the internet to check and update or provide their address online, should they be unable to visit their correct voting station this weekend. These voters are also urged to update their details before the end of May 2018.
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