ELECTION NEWS - The time has come to have your say in who has a say in government. Make your cross in the 2019 national and provincial elections. Vote tomorrow, Wednesday 8 May, when registered South Africans will vote for a sixth time since the end of apartheid in 1994.
The national and provincial elections take place every five years.
The outcome of tomorrow's election determines which political party will govern the country and a proportional representation allocation will determine how many seats each party will have in Parliament.
Similarly, the election determines which of the political parties will govern each of the nine provinces.
Go early
Voters can check their voting station location by SMSing their ID number to 32810 (R1) and can reach the Contact Centre on 0800 11 8000 for all enquiries regarding the elections.
On Election Day, voting stations will open from 07:00 until 21:00 to give even those voters who have to be at work during the day the opportunity to vote. The day is a public holiday to allow everyone the opportunity to cast a vote.
Remember to take along your smart ID card, green ID book or temporary identity certificate in order to vote.
The Department of Home Affairs will extend operational hours at its front offices from 07:00 to 21:00 to assist eligible voters to collect identity documents they had applied for, or to apply for temporary identity certificates.
The Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) urges voters to go to the polling stations early. Although the voting station will close at 21:00, everyone in the queue at that time will be allowed to cast their votes.
Inside the voting station a number of people will be present, among them an IEC presiding officer, deputy presiding officer and officials to perform the various aspects of the voting process, including:
- Assisting voters in the queue including checking that they have the right identification documents
- Scanning the voter's ID document and checking the voter's name against the voters' roll
- Inking the voter's left thumb with indelible ink
- Stamping and issuing the voter with a national and provincial ballot paper. Do ensure that the ballot paper issued to you is stamped as this is a safeguard against fraud.
Officials are also available to capture addresses for voters whose addresses do not appear on the voters' roll.
Each political party is also permitted to deploy two party agents at every voting station to oversee and monitor voting and counting. Domestic and international observers may also be present.
The counting of votes will start immediately after the closing and the results document will be signed by the presiding officers and party agents, who will be encouraged to take pictures of result documents to compare with the final outcome.
IEC chairperson Glen Mashinini last week said the final results of the 2019 election are expected to be released on Sunday, 12 May.
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