Outcome of final registration weekend

A record 25,3 million South Africans are registered and ready to vote in the 7 May 2014 national and provincial elections following a highly successful final registration weekend, which saw 1 259 560 new voters registering.

The new registrations lifted the overall registration level from 76,9 per cent prior to the weekend to 80,5 per cent of all eligible voters today.

Combined with the 1,1 million new voters who registered for the first time in November, some 2,3 million new voters will have been added onto the voters roll for the first time since 8 November 2013. This is about 17 per cent higher than the target of two million the Electoral Commission had set.

Encouragingly, 79,89 per cent of all new registrations over the weekend – or 1 006 260 – are voters under the age of 30. This included:

• 691 002 voters aged 20 – 29

• 255 398 voters aged 18 and 19

• 59 860 voters aged 16 and 17

Along with new registrations, a further 1,48 million registered voters also used the opportunity to change their voting station, with 183 377 people re-registering at the same voting station.

In total, just short of three million people visited the 22 263 voting stations on the last weekend. That is 16 per cent higher than the 2,5 million who visited voting stations in November.

In terms of new registrations, the following are the provincial totals:

• Eastern Cape: 130 072 new voters (10,33 per cent)

• Free State: 70 161 new voters (5,57 per cent)

• Gauteng: 339 728 new voters (26,97 per cent)

• KwaZulu-Natal: 298 652 new voters (23,71 per cent)

• Limpopo: 86 835 new voters (6,89 per cent)

• Mpumalanga: 97 732 new voters (7,76 per cent)

• North West: 74 389 new voters (5,91 per cent)

• Northern Cape: 25 332 new voters (2,01 per cent)

• Western Cape: 136 659 new voters (10,85 per cent)

In line with population trends, women comprised 51,50 per cent of new registrations and men 48,50 per cent.

The overall registration level against estimated eligible population for the provinces is as follows:

• Eastern Cape: 85,3 per cent

• Free State: 85,8 percent

• Gauteng: 77,0 per cent

• KwaZulu-Natal: 83,6 per cent

• Limpopo: 81,0 per cent

• Mpumalanga: 77,3 per cent

• North West: 78,5 per cent

• Northern Cape: 84,3 per cent

• Western Cape: 77,8 per cent

Registration also has been under way for overseas voters at South African diplomatic missions abroad. Already 3 521 applications for registration have been received. According to figures provided by the Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO) approximately 700 more applications are expected to be couriered for capturing.

Prisoner registration was conducted at correctional service facilities throughout South Africa. This process resulted in 9 949 prisoners applying for registration.

Registration remains open for eligible voters until 5pm on the day of proclamation, which is expected later this month. Eligible voters can register at their local IEC office until that day after which the voters roll closes. Contact details for IEC offices are available on www.elections.org.za or call 0800 11 8000.

Voters who registered can check their new registration details by smsing their ID number to 32810.