IEC preparing for 78 000 voters spread across the world
THE Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) says it is finalising preparations for the more than 78092 South Africans who’ve applied to cast their special vote abroad.
The commission said it has been working with the Department of International Relations and Co-operation (Dirco) to ensure South Africans living abroad can cast their votes as well.
The commission said it has already started shipping voting materials to various destinations, including voting booths, ballot boxes and papers, stationery packs and all the relevant lists.
It has indicated that more than 111 missions will participate in the elections in various foreign missions, with South African nationals in Algiers, Amman, Cairo, Kuwait City, Jeddah, Ramallah, Riyadh and Tehran set to vote on May 17, while the rest of the 102 missions will be able to cast their marks on May 18.
It said voting stations will be open from 7am to 7pm, allowing 78 092 voters to exercise their right to vote.
“In respect of the mission in the UK, the commission has determined two days of special voting. These are Saturday and Sunday, May 18 and 19, from 7am to 9pm,” the commission said.
The IEC said it has made special provisions by extending its operating hours to ensure proper arrangements for the voters registered to cast their votes at all the missions.
“Similarly, extended voting hours have been prescribed for the missions in Washington DC and New York. The voting hours are 7am to 9pm.”
As per IEC, the largest international voting stations by population are London (24 535), followed by The Hague (6 659), Canberra (3 674), Dubai (3 266), Dublin (3 040), Wellington (2 292), Abu Dhabi (1 825), Washington DC (1 799) and Berlin (1 476).
The commission has also revealed that South Africans voting abroad are only eligible to vote for the national election as they will receive only one ballot and voters need to be present in person at the mission where they are registered or where they successfully applied for by the VEC 10 notice.
“After the voting process, cast national compensatory ballots will be transported through a source channel back to the national office of the Electoral Commission for counting.
“The votes will be counted in the presence of agents presenting contestants,” the IEC said.