First and foremost, if you are registered to vote, you can find out where to cast your vote by visiting maps.elections.org.za/vsfinder/.

If you have registered by using your home address, as you are legally bound to do, you can enter your address into the search bar and it will tell you where you need to be.

Voting stations will be open from 7am to 9pm on Monday, November 1.

Local elections are a mix of direct and proportional representation voting which leads to 3 separate ballot sheets in iLembe district municipality.

First, you vote for your ward candidate which is a direct system, meaning the candidate with the most votes wins the election.

You will also be able to vote for a party in your local and district municipality, which is where proportional representation comes in.

The total number of votes for a party’s ward candidate and their party are divided by the number of seats available in council.

This is used by the IEC to determine how many votes are needed to gain a seat in council.

That is why smaller parties often have candidates running across multiple different wards so that they can maximise their chances to gain votes, even if they might not have a legitimate chance to win individual wards.

The most prominent example locally in the upcoming election is VF+ candidate, Ashley van der Ryst, who will be on the ballot in all 30 wards as well as the PR position.

The current seat holding in KwaDukuza Municipality council is:

• ANC 36
• DA 11
• IFP 4
• EFF 2
• Al Jama-ah 1
• African Independent Congress 1
• Independents 2

KwaDukuza’s 139 456 registered voters – up from 128 633 in 2016 – will have their chance to have a say come November 1.

The number of registered voters for the other iLembe District municipalities are:

• Mandeni – 74 433 (up from 73 299 in 2016).
• Ndwedwe- 75 134 (up from 72 925 in 2016).
• Maphumulo – 50 764 (up from 49 512 in 2016).

Add these to those registered in KwaDukuza for a grand total of 339 787 registered voters across the iLembe District Municipality.

This accounts for 6.2% of all voters across KwaZulu-Natal.

President Cyril Ramaphosa recently announced that November 1 will be a public holiday to encourage citizens to get to the polls.

Preliminary ward results are expected to be available for publication in next week’s issue.

iLembe District results and allocation of council seats including the PR vote will be on the Courier website and social media pages as they become available.

What to bring:

• a pen

•  your valid identification document

How to vote:

1. Find your correct voting station
2. Present your valid identification document (green barcoded ID book, smart-card ID or temporary ID certificate),  to the door controller at the entrance of the voting station
3. Check that you are on the voters’ roll. Election officials will take your ID document and check for your name and identity number on the segment of the national common voters’ roll for that voting district. Your name will then be crossed off – this is a manual mechanism for ensuring that voters only vote once.  An election official will then ink your left thumb nail.
4. Get your ballot papers. Each ballot paper has a unique number and you must make sure that there is a stamp at the back of your ballot papers to verify that they were issued to you on that Election Day.
5. Get your identification documents stamped
6. Find an empty voting booth and make your ‘X’. To avoid a spoilt ballot, ensure that you make only one mark on each ballot paper and that your mark is clear. If you make a mistake call an election official and they will provide you with a new ballot paper. When you are finished, fold your ballot papers in half and leave the voting booth.
7. Cast your vote

Also read:

• ‘Land and jobs, manje!’ Fact-checking promises in the EFF’s 2021 election manifesto

•  ‘A promise of more’ – Fact-checking claims made in the DA’s 2021 election manifesto

• ‘Building better communities together’ – Fact-checking the ANC election manifesto

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