IEC implements new measures to improve quality of counting votes

The Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) has announced the instituting of a new category of staff who will support the presiding officers during the vote counting process.

The new category of employees will be different in that they must possess a high level of numeracy, said IEC chief electoral officer (CEO) Sy Mamabolo on Thursday.

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“In order to improve the quality of the counting and the completion of the result slips, the commission is instituting a new category of staff who will support the presiding officers during the counting process. They must have a high level of numeracy. There will be three per voting station and substation where we operate a voting centre,” said Mamabolo.

The certified voters’ roll stands at 27.7 million voters. The commission will be printing approximately 30 million ballots for each of the three ballot types.

“South Africa has not seen this level of registration since the voters’ roll was first established in 1999,” he said.

The Alliance of Citizens for Change has been drawn as first political party to appear on the election ballot paper on 29 May.

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All other political parties to follow in alphabetical order.

The IEC on Thursday hosted the signing of the Electoral Code of Conduct by parties and candidates contesting the elections.

Among other provisions, political parties and candidates must:

• Speak out against political violence and threats against other parties, the IEC, the public and the media.
• Let the authorities know about planned marches or rallies.
• Communicate with other political parties about planned political events.
• Recognise the authority of the IEC.
• Work with the IEC structures and allow them to perform their duties.
• Work with the police in their investigation of election crime and violence.
• Accept the results of the election or challenge the results in court.

Today’s event, according to Mamabolo, also served as an affirmation by the IEC of its readiness to conduct a free and fair election.

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“We give this affirmation of readiness alive to the enormity of the challenge that rests on our hands. We stand ready to ensure that we do not let motherland down, for otherwise, history will have a deleterious account of our charge of this task.”