By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
The Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) says the special voting weekend has gone off successfully, despite a shaky start.
During the briefing on Sunday evening, IEC chairperson Glen Mashinini indicated that the commission was “very confident that all systems are good” for election day following a successful two-day special voting.
Mashinini said 83% of those registered for a special vote cast their ballot this weekend.
“As of [6pm], 502,837 out of 602,780 voters had been approved to vote as specials voters and of those we now know that 83% were able to cast their votes.
We are please as the commission that such a large number of special voters, for the first time due to the Covid environment, were able to achieve this particular task,”he said.
The IEC chair said that the voters who was unable to cast a special vote for whatever reason may still cast their ballot at their voting stations on election day.
Mashinini pointed out that voters who live in a metropolitan area will receive two ballots.
“One for a ward candidate and one for the political party. In addition, voters in local municipalities will receive a third ballot paper for the district council. Each ballot paper must be stamped on the reverse side to indicate the authenticity of the ballot during the counting process,”he added.
Voters must vote where they are registered and must bring theirs IDs.
Mashinini said citizens whose registration details were not captured or updated on the commission’s system are allowed to vote on election day.
“In order to ensure that they are not disenfranchised, but would participate […] these voters will be permitted to vote as though their details were on the voters roll segment of the voting district in which they present themselves.
“This arrangement is authorised in terms of Section 72 of the Municipal Act, which allows a voter to be permitted to vote on presenting proof that they had applied for registration before the proclamation of an election,” he added.
The IEC chair also said voters were prohibited to take photos of their marked ballot papers.
Meanwhile a presiding officer in Mpumalanga was dismissed after he was found to be under the influence of alcohol, the Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) said on Sunday.
The IEC detailed incidents which took place on day one of the special votes in the 2021 municipal elections.
In addition to the presiding officer’s dismissal, the IEC reported three other incidents.
“The commission is happy to report that, following an intervention by the law enforcement agencies, special voting is expected to continue in Camperdown, in KwaZulu-Natal. This is an area where eight voting stations could not open yesterday due to a dispute over traditional leadership,” IEC said.
The IEC also had to lay charges with the police after a voter tore a ballot paper in Mpumalanga.
President Cyril Ramaphosa has also called on each and every South African who is registered to vote to go out tomorrow and vote for the candidate and the party of their choice.