Applications for special votes in this year’s national and provincial elections will be accepted until April 17, between 9am and 5pm, at local IEC offices.
Special votes will be cast on May 5 and 6.
There are two categories of special votes:
- Home visits: election officials will visit voters who have successfully applied for a home visit due to physical infirmity, disability or pregnancy. These home visits will be conducted on May 5 and 6.
- Special voting at your registered voting station: any voters who will be absent from the voting district where they are registered on Election Day (May 7) may apply to cast their vote early. This voting will take place at the voting station where the voter is registered, on May 5 and 6, between 9am and 5pm.
Applications for both categories must be made by completing a VEC 1 form (available on www.elections.org.za or at local offices of the IEC), and must be submitted by hand to the local IEC office, in the municipality responsible for the voting district where the special vote is to be cast.
The forms will not be accepted at national or provincial offices and cannot be faxed, emailed or posted.
Special vote applicants may use a proxy to deliver the VEC 1 form to the local IEC office in the municipality where they intend to vote, but the form itself must be signed by the voters themselves.
Unlike previous national and provincial elections, applications for special votes will no longer be accepted at voting stations on special voting days.
Only voters whose pre-approved applications were submitted during the window period of April 7 to 17, will be able to cast a special vote.
Having submitted the VEC 1 application form, voters will be informed of the outcome of their application via SMS or email.
They can also check their status on the website (www.elections.org.za).
A list of local IEC offices addresses is available on the IEC website (https://www.elections.org.za/content/About-Us/Contact-Us/), or voters can call 0800 11 8000.
