NELSPRUIT – After South Africans have gone the polls tomorrow, a new government will be elected. In the proportional representation, or party-list system which this country uses, every vote counts because the total number which a party gets decides the number of seats it gets in national assembly, or provincial legislatures in this case. But what happens once you have cast your vote?
Counting of the votes
According to the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC), the time spent waiting In queues on election day should not be long as there is a fixed number of voters registered to vote at each voting station. Stations open at 07:00. The busiest times are normally before working hours, over lunch and after work. Once you have voted, you place your ballots in the boxes at the station. When a box becomes full, it is sealed. Voting closes at 21:00 after which the counting by IEC officials will begin. Like voting, accredited observers can observe the counting and the calculation of the results.
The IEC points out that if you are in the queue at 21:00, you must be allowed to vote before the station can close. Counting will mostly happen at the voting station. Votes can only be counted at a venue other than there with the approval of the IEC.
The final results for a station must be signed by the presiding officer and all political parties, and then scanned to create an immediate record. This is aimed at creating more trust and openness to political parties in the results compilation process.
Election results
The overall election results will be worked out using a computer system at centralised venues under the control of the IEC. There will also be accredited observers and party agents to ensure that everything is done correctly. While the IEC has seven days to complete the counting, it has in the past managed to announce results on the third day after voting day. Mr Sibusiso Nkosi of the IEC in Mpumalanga also said the final results were expected to be announced on Friday morning.
Where to vote
You must vote in the voting district where you are registered. Voters who have applied for special votes, have until today to cast theirs. The IEC says if you try to do so at another voting district in the town wherein you are registered, you will be sent to the correct voting station.
However, it is important to note that if you are out of town you can cast a national vote anywhere in the country and still do so for the provincial government as long as you are in the province in which you are registered.
Show your ID to the voting officer who will scan the bar code and find your name on the voters’ roll. Your hands are checked to see if you have voted already, your name is crossed off the roll and your left thumb is marked with indelible ink to make sure you do not vote a second time.
You receive one ballot paper for the national elections and if voting in the province where you are registered, you also receive a ballot paper for the provincial elections. An official stamp is put on the back of these. In the voting booth, mark your papers in a way that clearly show the party for which you are voting.
If you make a mistake and you notice it upon putting the ballot paper into the box, ask for a new ballot and the old one will be cancelled. If a ballot cannot be counted because it is not clear for which party the person was voting, the vote is spoilt. If you are not sure how to vote or if you need help reading the ballot, ask an official for assistance.
Fold the ballot papers and put the national one into the national ballot box and the provincial one into the provincial ballot box. A voting officer will check to see that the ballot papers have the official stamps on the back before they are put into the boxes.
If you need help with anything else to do with voting, or want to lodge a complaint about any harassment or intimidation on election day, approach your local council election office or the municipal electoral officer, the presiding officer, IEC-accredited NGOs observing the elections, your organisation, political party or candidate, party agents or the police.
To check were you are registered to vote, SMS your ID number to 32810 or visit the IEC’s website at www.elections.org.za/
