Youthvote South Africa (yvSA) welcomes you to this election year and the 10th anniversary of our first democratic elections in 1994.
In the coming months, as the election approaches, yvSA will prepare readers for the big event.
We kick off our first issue of the year looking at citizenship and voting and women and the vote.
Forthcoming issues will include a look at electoral systems, political parties, the
Independent Electoral Commission (IEC), campaigns and the media, and of course, how to vote.
We will also continue to raise important issues related to democracy in South Africa and to present the views and experiences of young voters.
Finally, for schools participating in this project, we will provide guidelines on a weekly basis for how to organise an election at your school, to take place at the same time as the national elections. There will be numerous prizes for the most impressive submissions.
Citizenship and voting
The right to vote is often taken as the most fundamental proof of citizenship.
According to our Bill of Rights, only South African citizens have the right to vote in elections (although other rights, such as equality and dignity, apply to everyone in the country, regardless of whether or not they are citizens).
However, it is also important to realise that citizenship does not begin and end with voting. If we limit our definition of citizenship to
focus narrowly on voting, then we limit the role that citizens can play in building democracy and developing our country.
A citizen can be much more than simply a voter, and those who cannot vote can still be active participants in our democracy. This applies particularly to young citizens who have not yet reached voting age, or to immigrants who have not yet been granted citizenship.
There are many ways in which these people can contribute towards the public discussion that takes place around elections, towards building stronger communities and working for a better future.
Who can vote
There are a few basic criteria that are used to determine whether or not a person is able to vote in an election. These can differ from one country to another. In SA, the constitution and the Electoral Act provide the framework for elections, and specify exactly who may and may not vote.
Nationality
You can vote in the forthcoming election only if you are a citizen of SA. If you were born in another country, but have gone through the formal process of becoming a South African citizen, you are eligible to vote. If you live in SA, but are a citizen of another country, you are not allowed to vote. This restriction also applies to foreigners who have been given permanent residence status.
Age
You must be aged 18 or older to vote. If you are under 18, this does not mean you should not take an interest in the democratic life of SA.
Elections provide a good opportunity to focus on key issues that affect our society, including young people's issues. Discussions and debates about the elections can take place in many venues, from home and school to public meetings and the media. Anybody can participate.
Registration
You must be registered as a voter if you wish to vote. It is not possible simply to present yourself at a voting station on election day, if you have not registered beforehand.
When you register, your name is placed on the voters roll for a particular voting station, where you live. When you go to vote, officials will check the voters roll to see if your name appears. If it does not, then you will not be allowed to vote. The voters roll closes the day President Thabo Mbeki announces the date of the 2004 general election.
Location
You must be in SA at the time of the election if you want to vote. South African citizens who are currently living outside the country will not be able to vote, unless they fulfil certain conditions.
Soundness of mind
You need to be of sound mind to vote. People who suffer from serious mental illness are not allowed to vote. This restriction applies only to people who have been declared by the High Court to suffer from a severe mental disorder, or to those who have been detained in institutions under the Mental Health Act of 1973.
As we noted earlier, each country defines its own set of rules and regulations for elections. Since the right to vote is considered to be a fundamental human right and is enshrined in the Bill of Rights, the decision to exclude some people from voting is always somewhat controversial. However, it must also be remembered that the constitution allows for rights to be limited under certain conditions. Sometimes electoral laws change from one election to the next. They are influenced by questions of practicality as well as politics.
Citizens under 18
There are many people who believe that 16 should be the minimum voting age. Before the first democratic elections in SA in 1994, soon-to-be-elected President Nelson Mandela gave his support to the idea that 16 year-olds should be allowed to vote.
There was a lot of heated discussion about the issue. Many argued young people had played a
major role in the struggle against apartheid, and should be rewarded by being allowed to vote. In the end, the Electoral Act determined young people could vote only if they had turned 18.
From time to time the question of the minimum voting age continues to be posed. It is not impossible to imagine that this might be changed, but it will not happen unless there is very widespread support for the idea and Parliament passes an amendment to the current Electoral Act.
Prisoners
It is fairly common around the world for prisoners who have been convicted of serious crimes to be deprived of their vote. In the 1994 elections, all prisoners in SA jails were allowed to vote.
The main reason for this was because so many people had been imprisoned for political crimes during the apartheid years, and it was not yet certain how many of them were still in jail.
With the birth of a democratic SA, many prisoners who were said to have committed political crimes were freed. To make it possible for these people to vote in the 1994 election, it was decided to allow all prisoners to vote.
In the last national elections in 1999 it was initially announced that prisoners would not be allowed to vote.
Then an organisation called the South African Prisoners' Organisation for Human Rights (SAPOHR) conducted a campaign to win back the vote for prisoners.
They argued that many people in prisons are still awaiting trial and have not yet been convicted of a crime.
Voting can also be seen as a way to assist the civic rehabilitation of prisoners.
In the forthcoming election, awaiting-trial prisoners and those serving sentences with the option of a fine will be allowed to vote.
Election Update:
- If you have not yet registered, you should do so at municipal offices before the President announces the election date. Hurry!
- A recent amendment to the Electoral Act makes provision for people to vote in a different centre to where they were registered. In short, you can vote at any voting station!