Online voter registration continues as election proclamation looms

Eligible voters are urged to register or check their details online before the voters' roll closes at midnight on Friday

4 hours ago

Gugu Myeni 1 minute read

Register or check details online ahead of Local Government Elections PHOTO: Laker/Pexels

While the final-voter registration weekend has concluded, voters can still register or update their details online until the Local Government Elections are proclaimed.

“The voters’ roll closes at midnight on the day the election is proclaimed,” notes the IEC in a statement.

“From that point onwards, no new voter registrations or changes to existing voter registration details may be processed until after the elections.

“Consequently, the Electoral Commission will cease all registration drives and deactivate the online voter registration portal.”

The IEC notes that the online self-service portal is data-free and accessible 24/7.

KZN is among the three provinces that have recorded the highest levels of online registration activity.

“Women remain the leading users of the online registration platform, accounting for 61% of all online registration activity,” reads the statement.

“Young people are also embracing digital registration in significant numbers, with the 16–29 age cohort contributing 50% of all online transactions.”

The online voter registration portal (registertovote.elections.org.za) enables voters to:

Register as first-time voters.
Check their voter registration status.
Confirm their voting station.
Update their contact and address details.
Vote where you are registered

The IEC reminds voters that local government elections are different from national and provincial elections.

“Half of the seats in a municipal council are elected on a first-past-the-post ward basis,” it notes.

“For that reason, only voters who are ordinarily residents in a ward must influence the outcome of elections in a particular ward. Therefore, voters must be registered in a voting district in a ward where they ordinarily reside.

“Unlike national and provincial elections, there is no legal provision permitting voters to vote outside the voting district where they are registered during local government elections.”

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