A voter education session at Riverside Manor Retirement Village highlighted how mobility challenges and unfamiliarity with digital registration can make voting difficult for elderly residents.

Resident John, who did not want to provide his full name, said residents appreciated voter education initiatives and the opportunity to vote on-site through special voting arrangements.

“We appreciate these kinds of guides, as they help us understand the voting process. Bringing voting stations to us through special voting is also important because moving around can be a problem for many,” he said.

Retirement village director Dionne Steyn said residents across independent living, assisted living and frail care had different levels of mobility and access to information, making voter education particularly important.

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Some residents have limited opportunities to engage with the electoral process beyond what they see on television, while others struggle with online registration and the practical requirements of voting.

Steyn said special voting arrangements allowed eligible residents who could not easily access ordinary voting stations to participate without the stress of travelling or standing in queues.

He stressed that making the process accessible was essential to ensuring elderly people were not excluded from democratic participation because of their circumstances.

Ward 93 councillor candidate Tracy Kensey said the session focused on helping residents understand the purpose of the two ballots and distinguish between the local and proportional representation (PR) ballots.

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The Electoral Commission of South Africa was expected to visit the village on November 3 to facilitate special voting.

Retired councillor John Mendelsohn welcomed opportunities for political representatives to engage with retirement communities, saying voter education should extend to people across all age groups and walks of life.

He argued that more effort was needed to reach residents in townhouse complexes and gated estates, where access for political representatives could be limited.

Mendelsohn said educating voters about the electoral process was important to ensuring democracy functioned properly.

The session highlighted the importance of providing accessible electoral information so that elderly residents can make informed decisions and participate in elections despite physical or practical barriers.

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