The Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC), supported by political parties, is rallying South African citizens to register on Saturday and Sunday, 18 and 19 November, to be eligible to vote in next year’s general elections.
The IEC in the Free State has paved the way for the election by enabling parties to campaign and voters to register at their nearest voting station.
During the two-day voter registration, voters can also verify their status at one of about 22 300 stations.
To register, residents are required to produce a South African identity document: either a green barcoded ID book, a smart ID card, or a valid temporary ID certificate. Potential voters are required to also provide an address or description of place of residency or where they live. This is to enable the IEC to place correctly every voter in the designated wards and voting districts.
The total number of registered voters on the Free State’s voters’ roll stands at 1 413 992, and according to the IEC this is still below 50% of the target. This is clear when considering this number’s contrast to the population figure of 2,9 million, as confirmed by Statistics South Africa census data.
According to the IEC, the overall number of registered voters in the province represents 48,5% of the 2,9 million population.
The lack of interest in voting among the youth, as the future generation, remains a grave concern. For the 2021 municipal elections, the figures of youths in the Free State who registered were: 96 329 youth older than 21; 9 168 between 18 and 21 years old; and 372 younger than 18.
