Voters who will be unable to cast their votes at their voting stations on May 18 have until Tuesday, 3 May, to apply for a special vote.
Chief Electoral Officer, Advocate Pansy Tlakula, (corr) said special votes are for people who will not be able to vote on Election Day, including members police officers who will be on duty during the election period, voting station staff and other electoral staff who will be working on Election Day, members of the media and agents of political parties who will represent their parties at voting stations on Election Day.
To qualify for a special vote, a person must be a South African citizen, 18 years and older, their name must appear on the voters’ roll and they must vote at the voting station where they registered.
Those who are unable to apply for a special vote in person at the local Municipal Electoral Officer (MEP) can have someone else submit the application on their behalf.
Applicants who can’t vote on 18 May will cast their special votes on Monday, 16 May between 8am and 5pm at the voting station in the voting district where they are registered.
Those who are unable to go to their voting station will be visited at home by IEC staff on 16 or 17 May.
Those who have applied to be special voters can visit the IEC website on www.elections.org.za, look under Special Votes Application Status and enter their ID number to see is their applications have been successful.
Applicants can also sms their ID number to 32711. Both facilities inform applicants whether their application have been approved.
The application form for special voters - MEC35 form (Appendix 25) - is available from MEOs countrywide and on the IEC website.
For more information and contact details of MEO offices, applicants can call the IEC toll free on 0800 11 8000.