Electoral officer in the Western Cape Michael Hendrickse has urged voters to notify the electoral body if they cannot vote at the voting station where they are ordinarily registered on May 29.
Hendrickse said voters should as a rule cast their ballots at the voting station of the voting district in which they were registered.
He said if, for whatever reason, a voter could not vote at their voting station but at a different voting station, they could notify the IEC beforehand in line with the Section 24A Notification.
"This notification system will go a long way towards ensuring a seamless voting process on May 29, 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 May 29 at a different voting station by notifying the IEC timeously,” Hendrickse said.
He said the Section 24A notification was now mandatory that it be submitted in advance, if the voter wants to vote at a different voting station.
Hendrickse also said in previous elections voters were able to arrive on Election Day at a different voting station and apply 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 of intention to vote at a voting station where not registered, opened on March 15 and closes at 5pm on May 17.”
According to Hendrickse, the IEC could be notified by visiting: www.elections.org.za and using the online Section 24A Notifications portal, and by visiting the local IEC office in person to complete the form.
“The presiding officer of that different voting station where you intend to vote will have a list of all the voters who have successfully notified the IEC that they are voting there.”
Meanwhile, deputy electoral officer Masego Sheburi told MPs on Tuesday that the biggest consideration when the rule was made was to safeguard the integrity of the electoral outcome.
“It was to guard against the narrative emerging that people are able to vote more times than they are entitled,” Sheburi said.
But EFF MP Thapelo Mogale noted that the regulation could affect the voter turnout that has been consistently declining over the past elections.
He said the regulation has the potential to deny a number of people the right to vote on election day.
“The Section 24A notification has unintended consequences,” Mogale added.
The IEC, in its presentation to the home affairs portfolio committee on Tuesday said its communication campaigns promoted election requirements such as the special votes application, voting where a voter was registered and voting out of country, among others.
Cape Times