#IMadeMyMark: What you need to know about voting

The Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) has provided the voting staff with do’s and don’ts guidelines to follow on election day.

Voting staff (Special Voting)

Dos:

• Remember to use the double envelopes when conducting special votes both at voting station and during home visits.

• Remember to stamp the back of ballot papers during home visits and at the voting station during special voting.

• Cross off the voter’s name on the voters roll after they have voted and make an annotation SV on the voters roll.

Don’ts:

• Do not influence the voter’s choice during the special voting.

• Respect the secrecy of the voter’s choice.

• Allow the voter some private space to mark the ballot.

Voting Staff on voting day

Dos:

• Inform/ brief stakeholders (party agents and candidates) about the process to be followed at every step during voting and counting.

• Check thoroughly if you have received all the necessary materials for that voting station.

• Check the voting district number and name on the voters roll, maps and security materials.

• Make use of the voting station diary and record all activities at the time they happen, especially the ballot paper statement, parameter reports, ballot box seal numbers, and objections.

• Assist voters, on request, to cast their votes.

• Look out for voters who might need special assistance, such as people with disabilities.

• Complete attendance registers and contracts for staff as required.

• Reconcile the special voting home visits list and envelopes with the voters roll at the end of each special voting day.

• Treat voters and stakeholders with dignity and respect; carry out your duties impartially and fairly.

• Complete the results slip correctly, and neatly and allow party agents to sign the result slip against the votes attributed to their party.

• Allow party agents to take a picture of the completed result slips.

• Allow party agents and candidate to observe the voting process openly and transparently without compromising the secrecy of the vote.

Don’ts:

• Do not turn away voters who come to the voting station wearing their party regalia.

• Do not turn away voters who do not appear on the voters roll which might include: registered in another voting district, on the rejected portion of the voters roll, MEC7 cases, etc.

• Do not stop the voting process because the eZiskan is not working.