Elderly residents at Riverside Manor Retirement Village in Sunninghill were given an opportunity to learn more about the electoral process, including the purpose of the two ballots and what to expect when casting their votes.

The voter education initiative aimed to help residents better understand the voting process ahead of the special votes scheduled to take place at the retirement village on November 3.

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Ward 93 councillor candidate Tracy Kensey said the session focused on helping residents understand the importance of the two ballots and distinguish between the local and proportional representation (PR) ballots. Kensey added that the Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) would visit the village to facilitate special voting, with organisers looking forward to the residents’ participation.

Riverside Manor director Deon Steyn said voter education was particularly important for elderly people, many of whom have limited access to the outside world or face challenges participating in conventional voting processes. He explained that residents in independent living, assisted living and frail care had varying levels of mobility and access to information, with some relying largely on television to keep up with current affairs.

“They see what they see on TV and that’s it, but they don’t know about how the elections work. How do the processes work? What would the forms look like? What should they expect?” Steyn said.

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He added that some residents could not easily travel to voting stations or stand in queues, making special votes an important opportunity for them to exercise their democratic rights.
Steyn said the process could be stressful for elderly people, particularly those who required wheelchairs or assistance when visiting voting stations.

Kensey also highlighted the challenges some residents faced with online voter registration and other digital processes, emphasising the importance of making electoral participation as accessible as possible. “I think the elderly are a vulnerable group in our society, but they need to be assisted, with things made as easy as possible for them to participate in something like voting,” she said.

Retired councillor John Mendelsohn welcomed opportunities for political representatives to access retirement villages and educate residents about elections.

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He said voter education was important for people of all ages and backgrounds, adding that more efforts should be made to reach residents in townhouse complexes and gated estates where access to political representatives could be limited.
Mendelsohn said political parties and their representatives had a role to play in helping the democratic process function properly.

He emphasised that voter education should extend beyond retirement villages to ensure people across communities understood the electoral process and the importance of participating in elections.

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