Everything you need to know about voting in the 2019 election

Here’s how you can exercise your democratic right and make your mark on South Africa’s future via the 2019 General Elections.

This will be the sixth time since the dawn of democracy that South Africans will have the privilege of deciding which political party gets to steer the nation’s course. A free and fair voting process is the cornerstone of democracy – allowing ordinary citizens the opportunity to vote for change or uphold the status quo.

South Africa’s relatively young democracy, still fraught with wounds of an oppressive apartheid past and battling against elements of deep seeded corruption, calls for every eligible citizen to make their mark on the ballot paper. While the South African majority remains disenfranchised, it’s the prospect of a brighter future which acts as a calling to the 2019 polls.

South Africa General Elections 2019: Registration and voting dates

The Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC), the impartial organisation tasked with overseeing the entire electoral process, recently announced that voter registration weekend will be held on Saturday, 26 and Sunday, 27 January 2019.

As mandated by the Constitution of South Africa, the term of the current National Assembly and provincial legislatures ends on 6 May 2019 and elections must be held within 90 days thereafter. While no exact date has been set for the voting process, it is likely that the polls will open before the end of May.

President Cyril Ramaphosa recently indicated his intention to proclaim elections before the end of May 2019 but is expected to announce the exact date in due course.

How do I register to vote in the 2019 General Elections?

Registering to vote is the first step to enacting your democratic right. To be able to vote in the 2019 elections, you must be registered as a voter. Luckily, you only have to register once – unless you move or your voting district boundaries change. If you’ve voted in the past – you’re already registered. However, if you’ve moved since then, it’s likely you’ll need to re-register in your current district.

If you’re not sure about your status on the voter’s roll, you can check your registration details by:

• sending an SMS with your ID number to 32810
• checking your registration details online via the IEC portal
• check at your voting station during the final registration weekend on 26-27 January 2019
• check at your local IEC office during office hours

If you’ve never voted before, or have to re-register because of an address change, the registration weekend on 26-27 January 2019 is specifically designed for you. If you are a South African citizen, 18 years or older and have a green, bar-coded ID book, smartcard ID, or valid Temporary Identity Certificate (TIC) – you’re eligible to vote. Here’s how the registration process works.

To register within South Africa, you need to apply at the voting station for your voting district on the final registration weekend for the 2019 National and Provincial Elections set for 26-27 January 2019. You can also make an appointment to apply for registration during office hours at the local IEC office responsible for your voting district – but you’ll need to phone in first to make an appointment.

When registering to vote, here’s what you need to bring with you:

• your green, bar-coded ID book;
• smartcard ID; or
• valid Temporary Identity Certificate (TIC).

No other forms of identification, including copies of documents, will be accepted. Also note that you must register in person – no online or email registrations are permitted.

Once you’ve applied to register, your identity document book will be scanned, and a barcoded sticker will be pasted in your green ID book or on your valid Temporary Identity Certificate. Note: If you have a smartcard ID, the sticker will be pasted on a special form that will be given to you.

Confirmation of your registration could take up to seven days to process.

If you’re not sure where the voting station for your area is, you can find out via the IEC’s location portal.

Here’s how to make your mark in the 2019 election

So, once you’re registered and ready to make your vote count there’s a few things to note before leaving your mark on South Africa’s future. Most importantly, you need to vote at the voting station where you’re registered to vote.

You’ll need to bring your ID, along with the application sticker pasted when you applied for registration – if you have a smartcard ID, just to be sure, bring the special form that was given to you upon registering. This barcode will be scanned to verify your position on the voter’s roll.

It’s important to note that if you’re outside your voting district on Election Day, you may be eligible to vote at another voting station in South Africa. However, if you’re outside the province where you’re registered, you’ll only be able to vote in the national election and not the provincial election. In both of these scenarios you will be required to provide proof of registration and complete a form (VEC 4) at the voting station.

Voting abroad

For all the South African expatriates wanting to cast their vote, you must submit a VEC10 during the period specified in the election timetable – 15 days from the date on which the election is proclaimed – notifying the IEC of your intention to vote abroad. If you live abroad, but previously registered in South Africa, you are still registered. If you do not submit a VEC10 before the deadline specified in the election timetable, you will not be able to vote.

You can check the status of your VEC10 notification online via the IEC portal.

The process of voting overseas is naturally more complex than doing so within the boarders of South Africa. The IEC has instructions on the voting procedure which follow the approval of the VEC10:

1.   Take both your green, bar-coded South African ID book; smartcard ID; or valid Temporary Identity Certificate (TIC) AND your valid South African passport or temporary passport to the foreign mission indicated on the confirmation we sent you via email or text. You can only cast your vote on the date specified in the election timetable. Under no circumstances can votes be cast on any other date.

2.   Your thumbnail is marked with indelible ink.

3.   Your ID book is stamped.

4.   You receive the national ballot paper.

5.   You mark the ballot in secret, place and seal the ballot in the unmarked envelope given to you.

6.   The unmarked envelope is placed in another envelope that is marked with your name and ID number. The use of two envelopes is to ensure the secrecy of your ballot (the outer envelope is discarded before counting).

7.   The envelope is placed in a secure ballot box for special votes.

Voting in South Africa

The voting process for South Africans voting within the country is a lot simpler. Once your barcode has been scanned at the relevant voting station its as easy as heading into a booth and making your mark. Its important to note that there are two ballot papers – one for the national election and the other for the provincial election.

Voting districts

As defined by the IEC, a voting district is a geographical area that we draw to minimise fraud (registered voters voting more than once in an election), and to make administration more efficient. Voting districts are designed to minimise voter inconvenience and aid the IEC in its logistical planning.

These voting districts are determined on the basis of geographical size and number of eligible voters. Rural voting districts are designed to accommodate approximately 1,200 voters located within a radius of some 10 kilometres of the voting station, while urban voting districts service around 3,000 voters located within a radius of roughly 7,5 kilometres of the voting station.

It’s important to note that even if you haven’t moved from the location you last registered at, in rare cases, the voting district may have changed. For this reason, its important that all registered voters doublecheck their status well in advance.

South Africa General Elections 2019: Special votes

The IEC allows for citizens, unable to appear at voting stations, the right to a special vote. By law, a special vote is afforded to eligible voters, who have registered to make their mark, but are unable to travel to a voting station due to physical incapacity, disability or pregnancy.

Public officials, including law enforcement officers and members of the South African National Defence Force (SANDF), may also apply for a special vote if they are on duty on voting day.

There are three ways in which to apply for a special vote:

• Online via the IEC website -Special Vote online application
• SMSing your identity number to 32249
• Visiting your local IEC office (not the national or provincial offices) and submitting a MEC35 form. Forms can only be hand-delivered (no emails or faxes accepted), but someone else can deliver your completed form on your behalf.

The IEC will confirm the status of your special vote application via SMS. You can also keep track of your application via the above-mentioned web portal.

South Africa General Elections 2019: Code of Conduct

The IEC is serious about enforcing a Code of Conduct which provides voters a safe space to exercise their civic duty, without fear or favour. Police and/or army personnel will be deployed to every voting station to ensure the safety and security of citizens looking to cast their votes.

Furthermore, the IEC has a strict policy regarding political campaigning near voting stations. According to the Code of Conduct, no political party may entice voters or campaign near a voting station. No political party posters will be permitted during registration or voting.

A Registration Supervisor is tasked with ensuring the Code of Conduct surrounding the registration process is not flouted. One registered party agent is allowed inside each registration station and they may wear their party colours, but they may not talk/canvass in the station.

Any person who breaches the IEC’s Code is guilty of a criminal offence and can be fined or sent to prison for up to 10 years. If you suspect that a political party or a candidate has breached the Electoral Code of Conduct, you need to report the incident to Electoral Court. The Secretary of the Court can be contacted on the following telephone number: 051 412-7400.

South Africa General Elections 2019: Interesting facts

In order to maximise registration efforts, 22 932 voting stations will open from 08h00 to 17h00 on the voter registration weekend.

There are currently 26.1 million registered voters on the national common voters’ roll – approximately 45% of South Africa’s population. According to the IEC, there are almost 32 million eligible voters in the country – which mean’s that just over 10% of the population still needs to register to achieve 100% voter participation.

The 2019 General Elections are expected to cost the taxpayer approximately R1.3 billion.

According to recent surveys, the frontrunning political parties in next year’s elections are expected to be the ruling African National Congress (ANC), the official opposition, the Democratic Alliance (DA) and the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF).