ANC Elective Conference 2017: How the voting works

The ANC Elective Conference 2017 has been blighted by long delays, and a fight to assure that all credentials are valid for those in attendance. However, come hell or high water, there will be the vote to choose the next party President.

Whether that comes tonight, or tomorrow morning, remains to be seen. The seven-hour wait for proceedings to start yesterday was followed up by a three-hour delay on Sunday.

The country remains on tenterhooks to see if Cyril Ramaphosa or Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma. But how will the ANC decide? We’re taking a look at the voting process, the crucial numbers, and how a winner will emerge

How will voting work at the ANC Elective Conference 2017?

There will be a secret ballot where each ANC delegate who is able to vote will choose a candidate for six positions; Treasurer General, National Chairperson, Deputy Secretary General, Secretary General, Deputy President, and of course, President.

Each individual is expected to vote in favour of how the provincial branch voted. So, for example, Gauteng heavily backed Cyril Ramaphosa, and delegates will be expected to carry that decision through to the booth. However, voters are allowed to go against their previous nomination, and can choose a different candidate if they wish.

The votes for each role get counted up separately. But if one of Cyril or NDZ win the presidency, that doesn’t mean they’ll get to choose their deputies. Despite this, there could be a scenario where Ramaphosa wins the presidency, but the other five roles go to Dlamini-Zuma endorsing politicians.

The voting process for ANC leadership

The branches gathered in Nasrec each represent 100 ANC members. One delegate’s vote represents those 100 people. The delegate will have to vote based on the majority of opinion of who they want to nominate.

They nominate those wanted in the top six. In fact, If more than one person is nominated for a position, the chair calls for a vote and the winner becomes the official nomination of the branch.

Copies are made of all the results, and they are sent to three different places: ANC headquarters Luthuli House, the PEC, and the branch chairperson. The EleXions Agency are the independent company overseeing the process.

The envelopes are opened at the provincial general council (PGC) which is held by every province. However, candidates aren’t just nominated by their regions. Other candidates can be nominated by the floor, as long as they get 25% of delegates backing them.

How many votes are needed to win the ANC Presidency?

We are looking at 2,389 being the magic mark here. In a lunchtime presser, Deputy Secretary General Jessie Duarte confirmed that 4,776 delegates have been registered to vote successfully. Anyone who gets the majority share will win the nomination.

How many votes does each province get?

• Western Cape: 136
• Gauteng: 491
• Mpumalanga: 708
• North West: 411
• Eastern Cape: 632
• KwaZulu-Natal: 804
• Limpopo: 567
• Northern Cape: 193
• Free State: 349

Other delegates with votes include the Youth League (60), Women’s League (60), Veterans (55), and the National Executive Committee (86).

Each Provincial Executive Committee gets 27 votes each. However, KwaZulu-Natal and Free State PECs cannot vote in this contest.

Why can’t the KZN and Free State PEC vote?

Both provincial committees have been caught in extensive legal battles over the validity of their leadership. The KwaZulu-Natal PEC has been embroiled in a bitter battle for power since their 2015 results were declared null and void.

The Free State PEC failed to meet a deadline to host their gathering within a four year period. After an appearance in court this week, they’ve been disqualified from voting at the ANC Elective Conference.