For many, this will be an opportunity to register and automatically qualify to participate to vote in the elections.
Who can register?
A person can register to vote in South Africa if they:
- Are a South African citizen;
- Are at least 16-years-old (you can only vote from age 18 though);
- Have a green, bar-coded identification (ID) book; smartcard ID; or valid temporary identity certificate (TIC).
Please note that you can register at age 16 but will not cast a vote come Election Day till you’re 18-years-old.
According to the Electoral Commission of South Africa, municipal elections are held every five years to elect councillors who will be responsible for governing a municipality for the next five years.
The councillors will serve on the town, city, metropolitan or district councils that ensure services that impact the daily lives of citizens in their areas including water, electricity and sanitation.
The current term of office of municipal councils ends on May 18.
Where and when to register?
Apply for registration during office hours at the local Electoral Commission office responsible for your voting district, or register to vote on special registration days (often called registration weekends, of which one is scheduled for March 5 and 6).
If you would like to register at your local Electoral Commission office, please always call first to make an appointment, as nearer to an election electoral staff are often out of office to conduct voter education in their communities.
Like the Electoral Commission on Facebook (IECSouthAfrica) or follow them on Twitter (@IECSouthAfrica) to get updates on their registration weekend/s dates.
What happens if you’ve moved?
During municipal elections and by-elections, you must vote at the voting station where you are registered, and you must register in the voting district in which you live most of the time.
If you are already registered as a voter, and you have recently moved or you realise that you will be living in another place on Election Day (for example, if you are a student), you must go back to a registration point and fill in a form to change your registration details.
You will then be moved to the correct voting district and your name will be put on the voters’ roll for that district.
To find out where your correct voting station is, please go to https://maps.elections.org.za/vsfinder/
My voter registration details
- SMS your ID Number to 32810 (R1.00 per SMS), or
- Install the free mobile app for voters and use it to check your registration details.
The exact date of the 2016 Municipal Elections will only be known when the election is officially proclaimed by the Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs in 2016.
