Get election-ready before final registration weekend

With the South African local government elections in November, everyone is urged to register or check that they are indeed registered to vote before the local government elections take place on November 4.

But do you know where to check if you are registered?

For both checking registrations and new registrations, you can visit the IEC website.

There you will find an option to register as a voter, check your registration status or update your voting address if you’ve recently moved or relocated to a different part of the country. Remember that the final voter registration takes place this weekend, from August 1–2.

Why voting in municipal elections is important

The IEC explained that in the municipal elections, representatives and political parties are chosen who represent us in a municipal council. Elected councillors are responsible for improving communities and delivering services to everyone living in their area. They also promulgate and oversee the implementation of by-laws.

How does a municipal election work?

In a local municipality, you will have three ballot papers

• Yellow ballot – you vote for a political party to represent you on the local council
• Grey and White ballot – You vote for a person who is from a political party or an independent candidate to represent you on the local council
• Green Ballot – you vote for a political party to represent you on district council

In a Metro, you will have two ballot papers

• Yellow ballot – you vote for a political party to represent you on the metropolitan council
• Grey and White ballot – you vote for a person who is either from a political party or is an independent candidate to represent your ward on the metropolitan council

Who can vote in the municipal elections?

• Only a South African citizen
• A person 18 years or older on voting day
• A person with a green, bar-coded South African ID, a valid temporary ID certificate or a smart identity card
• A person registered on the voters’ roll
• A person registered where they live and who can only vote where they are registered

To confirm if you are registered, you can

• Send an SMS with your ID number to 32810
• Go to www.elections.org.za or mobi.elections.org.za
• Phone the Electoral Commission Contact Centre at 0800 11 8000
• Inspect the voters’ roll at your local Electoral Commission office