MOSSEL BAY NEWS - There are decidedly more women than men registered to vote in the provincial and national elections, which take place in less than two months.
In the Western Cape, 305 633 more women voters have registered to vote than men, while nationally 2 674 651 more women than men have registered.
This trend spans all age groups.
Statistics also indicate an alarming percentage of youth that have not registered to vote. In the age group, 18 to 19, representing first time voters, nationally only 204 269 (22 208 Western Cape) female voters, and 163 662 (16 740 Western Cape) male voters have registered.
Political and municipal journalists of the Group Editors stable of newspapers, to which the Mossel Bay Home Ads News and Mossel Bay Advertiser belong, spent a morning engaging with the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) provincial electoral officer, Courtney Sampson, and IEC provincial communications manager Trevor Davids. They provided journalists with an overview of the election preparations in the run-up to May 8, the date for the provincial and national elections. Election Day has been proclaimed a public holiday.
With 303 political parties registered nationally, and 106 parties registered in the Western Cape, the IEC in the Western Cape says it's ready for this year's poll.
Sampson gave an insightful overview of politics as an industry and how sentiment and alliances have shifted since the advent of democracy in South Africa in 1994.
He urged voters to participate in the election as South African citizens first, who happen to vote for different political parties.
He went to great lengths to emphasise the tried and tested procedures that safeguard the secrecy of every vote and ensure that no vote goes unaccounted for and reiterated the importance of political party representatives who observe the voting process inside the voting station at all times.
Timelines
"The IEC follows a strict timeline in the run-up to the elections. Monday, 18 March is the cut-off date for the certification and publication of the voters roll by making it available, while Monday, 25 March, is the cut-off date for parties to comply in respect of their candidates' lists.
"The following day, Tuesday 26 March, the commissioner will notify political parties of candidates who may appear on multiple party lists, giving parties until Thursday, 28 March to submit revised or substituted lists for these candidates."
On Saturday, 27 April South Africans abroad will be able to cast their votes at foreign missions and on Monday, 6 May and Tuesday, 7 May, special votes in both categories may be cast.
Sampson urged registered voters who on voting day will not be at the voting station where they are registered, to arrange for permission to cast their vote at another voting station.
Voters may be on holiday or away on business and therefore not be able to vote at their normal voting station, where they are registered to vote.
These voters are urged to make arrangements with the local IEC office in Powry Street to vote on 8 May at a different voting station. If the voter casts a vote at a voting station within the same province as where they are registered to vote, they will be allowed to vote in both the provincial and national election. If, however, they vote at a voting station in another province, they will only be allowed to participate in the national election.
Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) provincial electoral officer, Courtney Sampson, explained the gender differentiation in the registered voter statistics.
'We bring you the latest Mossel Bay, Garden Route news'
