Deadline for submission of party candidate lists and election deposits; deadline for overseas voters to notify IEC of intention to vote abroad
The Electoral Commission reminds all political parties intending to contest the 7 May national and provincial elections that the deadline for the payment of deposits and submission of all documentation including candidate lists is 17h00 today (12 March 2104).
The nomination documents and the bank guaranteed cheque must be submitted to the Chief Electoral Officer at the Electoral Commission national office in Centurion for both national and provincial elections. Parties who have yet to meet their obligations are urged to come early to avoid a last minute rush and to allow them time to correct any incorrect or missing documentation.
The Electoral Commission also welcomes the certainty around the payment of election deposits following the decision of the High Court in Pretoria yesterday which dismissed, with costs, an application to have the requirement to pay election deposits scrapped or limited.
The deposit for parties contesting the National Assembly is R200 000 while parties contesting provincial legislatures will pay R45 000 per provincial election. Parties need only win one seat in the National Assembly or provincial legislature to get their deposit back.
As at last night thirteen political parties had already submitted their lists of candidates. These parties are the following:
- Africa Unite Party
- African National Congress
- African People’s Convention
- Democratic Alliance
- Minority Front
- Vryheidsfront Plus
- United Christian Democratic Party
- Ubumbano Lwesizwe Sabangoni
- Sindawonye Progressive Party
- Al Jama-ah
- South African Progressive Civic Organization
- Inkatha Freedom Party
- National Freedom Party
The Electoral Commission will evaluate and verify the documentation and candidate lists and will inform parties of any non-compliance by 18 March 2014. Political parties will then have until 24 March 2014 to rectify any non-compliance.
The lists of candidates will then be made public from 28 March 2014 to the 31 March 2014. During this period lists of candidates and accompanying documents will be available for inspection. Members of the public and any political parties have until 1 April 2014 to object to any candidate.
17h00 today is also the deadline for the submission of notifications of intention to cast a vote outside of the Republic (VEC10) by registered voters.
The notification, which can be submitted online at www.elections.org.za, informs the Chief Electoral Officer of the voter’s intention to vote at a South African mission abroad. Voting overseas is scheduled to take place on 30 April 2014 at South Africa’s 123 High Commissions, Embassies and Consulates-General in 108 countries.
All voters who intend to vote overseas – including the 6 789 voters who registered overseas recently – must complete and submit the VEC10 by 17h00 today in order to be able to vote.
So far the Electoral Commission has received approximately 23 600 VEC10 notifications.
For media queries: Please contact Kate Bapela on 082 600 6386
For media interviews: Please email requests to spokesperson@elections.org.za
