You wake up, it’s voting day and you are ready to have your say in the country’s future and go cast your vote.
But when you are at the voting stations how do you keep yourself and your belongings safe?
Here are a few tips you can follow:
• Do not take unnecessary things with you. By all means take a bottle of water and any other everyday things, but taking too many things will be uncomfortable and make you an easy target for pickpockets and thieves. So – no camping chairs or gasbraais for the queues. But if you take only one thing make sure it is your ID document.
• Do not put on every gadget that you own. iPhone? Yes for games and calls. iWatch? Maybe if you are tracking your steps. iPad? No! iPod? No! Sunglasses? Definitely, if you need them.
• After casting your vote, don’t hang around. This is not a nice place to meet someone special. Keep the line moving. Cast your vote, be proud and take the selfie at home. But do take the selfie and inspire your friends to vote. Remember to use #IMadeMyMark.
• It is a public holiday; therefore it is understandable that after voting you may want to hang out with friends. Remember to be responsible, don’t drink and drive and wherever you go, be safe.
• Very important! Please do not drink before casting your vote. Firstly, it is irresponsible. Secondly, you are not as funny as you think and other people in line will get annoyed.
• Be aware of your surroundings. There are groups of people watching people come in and out of the station … keep your bags closed and make sure your cars are locked before walking away. Unfortunately we live in a time where the criminals will be as active as the voters.
Seriously … here are some Independent Electoral Commission rules at the voting stations:
It is illegal to:
• prevent someone from speaking to other voters
• interfere with another voter’s right to secrecy when they are voting
• say things that will provoke someone and cause violence
• intimidate another voter or a candidate
• offer someone else a reward if they vote for a certain party (that’s a bribe!)
• destroy or remove another parties’ posters
• try to bribe an IEC official or intimidate them while they are doing their jobs
• interfere with the voting process and prevent the Electoral Commission from running the elections
