South Africans voting on Election Day must, as a rule, vote at the voting station of the voting district in which they are registered.
But there is one exception – if, for whatever reason, you cannot vote at your voting station, but can do so only at a different voting station on Election Day, you must notify the IEC beforehand.
For such notifications, (as per Section 24A of the Electoral Act) it is now mandatory for such a request to be submitted in advance.
In previous elections voters were able arrive on Election Day at a different voting station and cast their ballots there.
This will no longer be allowed, and voters will now be turned away if they have not notified the IEC prior to Election Day.
The submission of section 24A notifications opened on 15 March and closes at 17:00 on 17 May 2024.
“This notification system will go a long way towards ensuring a seamless voting process on 29 May” said Provincial Electoral Officer, Michael Hendrickse, “and mitigate the logistical challenges of not knowing how many voters will arrive at a voting station.
“We ask voters to abide by this change to the Electoral Act, so that they are not disappointed on Election Day.”
So, whether you’re working or have plans to be outside the district where you are registered, make use of this process, to vote on 29 May at a different voting station by notifying the IEC timeously.
Important to note:
. If you intend casting a vote at a voting station where you are not registered, and that different voting station is still within the province, you will receive all three ballots (national, regional and provincial).
. If you intend casting your vote at a voting station outside the province where you are registered you may receive only the national ballot.
. You will need to ensure the notification is correctly and completely filled in, as failure to do so will render it invalid. In it you must indicate the name and address of the voting station where you wish to vote; you cannot simply refer to a suburb or town. The list of addresses of voting stations and voting district numbers can be accessed at https://maps.elections.org.za/vsfinder/
. The Presiding Officer of that voting station where you intend voting will have a list of all the voters who have successfully notified the IEC they are voting there.
You can notify the IEC by:
. going to www.elections.org.za and using the online Section 24A Notifications portal;
. visiting your local IEC office in person on weekdays during business hours and completing and submitting the notification form.
Please also remember that for queries all IEC offices are open Monday to Friday, from 08:00 to 17:00. You can also reach the call centre during office hours at 0800 11 8000.
Lastly, just a reminder that if you are voting at the voting station where you are registered, you need not notify the IEC, as your name will be on the certified Voters Roll for your voting station.
V If you want to know your voting station, send your ID number on sms to 32810 (R1/sms) or send “Hi” on WhatsApp 060 088 0000.
