Special votes get underway at Park Care Centre in Parktown
Elderly residents make their mark as home visits and station-based voting begin across South Africa.
lderly citizens at Park Care Centre in Parktown eagerly waited to cast their ballots and get their thumbs marked on November 2 for the first day of special voting.
The special voting process was conducted in the chapel section of the centre.
Keith Elkington, who uses a wheelchair, said he was glad to have voted because it was a way of playing his part in democracy.
Resident Steven Waddell said he appreciated the seamlessness of the voting process.
Read more: Will your vote still count in 2026?
The Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) describes special voting as an inclusivity mechanism in our electoral scheme catering for registered voters who may not be able to reach voting stations due to physical infirmity or disability, and those who may, for various reasons, not be in a position to present themselves on Election Day at voting stations within the wards where they are registered.
According to an IEC media release: “A total of 2 655 067 voters have been approved for special voting and will vote in two categories comprising home visits and voting station-based special voting. The provincial breakdown of the approved lists is 480 721 voters in Gauteng, 401 971 in Eastern Cape, 348 971 in KwaZulu-Natal, 341 623 in Limpopo, 292 775 in Mpumalanga, 291 866 in Western Cape, 235 733 in North West, 132 088 in Free State, and 129 319 in Northern Cape.”
Also read: Record numbers register to vote over latest registration weekend
Home visits
A total of 678 525 voters will cast special votes at their places of residence due to physical infirmity or disability. The gender split for this category of voters is 74% female and 26% male. KwaZulu-Natal recorded the highest provincial figure with 143 714 approved home visits, followed by Gauteng.
The commission therefore reminds approved voters to remain available at the addresses provided in their applications during the two days of special voting, when officials will visit.
Voting-station special votes
A total of 1 976 542 voters have been approved to cast their special votes at their registered voting stations.
Out of these, 64% are female, and 36% are male. Gauteng has the highest number of approved special votes at voting stations, with 391 589.
Voting stations will open at 08:00 and operate until 17:00 on both days for approved voters.
Follow us on our Whatsapp channel, Facebook, X, Instagram and TikTok for the latest updates!
