The 2024 General Elections are set to take place on Wednesday, 29 May 2024
Special votes
Applications open on Monday, 15 April 2024 until Friday, 3 May 2024.
What is different in the 2024 General Elections?
- You vote where you are registered
- 3 ballot papers vs the usual 2 ballot papers
- Independent candidates are allowed to contest
Local voting district rules
Voters are to vote where they are registered. We need to remind voters of the general rule in elections. That is, a person votes at a voting station where they are registered. The only exception to the general rule is that a voter may vote outside of the voting district of registration only if they have first notified the Commission by the 17th of May 2024.The need for this prior notification is new and comes about as a result of the changes to the law.
3 ballot paper system
If you vote at the voting station where you are registered, you will receive three ballots and not just two as in the past elections.
Ballot 1:
National Ballot to vote for a political party to represent you in the National Assembly.
Ballot 2:
Regional Ballot is a new ballot to vote for political parties or independent candidates contesting in that region (province) for elections to the National Assembly.
Ballot 3:
Provincial Ballot to vote for political parties or independent candidates contesting elections of the provincial legislature in that province.
Independent candidates
For the first time in South Africa, people who are not associated with political parties may stand as independent candidates to contest National and Provincial Elections, due to the 2023 Electoral Amendment Act.
Where can one check their registration status?
- SMS your ID number to 32810 (at the cost of R1 per SMS)
- Go to www.elections.org.za and click on check my registration status
- Visit a voting station near you
Who can go to vote?
South Africans citizens aged 18 years and older.
What do you need to vote?
An SA ID card, ID book or valid temporary ID.
Why should you vote?
There are a few very important reasons why you should vote:
- It is your Constitutional responsibility: While South Africa does not have compulsory voting like some other countries, our Constitution gives citizens rights along with responsibilities.
- Chapter 1, Section 3 of the Constitution says that all citizens are equally entitled to the rights, privileges and benefits of citizenship and equally subjected to the duties and responsibilities of citizenship.
- A key responsibility given to all citizens over 18 years old is to participate in our democracy.
- Vote to choose who is elected as a public representative in your country. Not voting means that you will not have a say in who is elected to lead your country:
- Elections are a chance for ordinary citizens to determine who is elected to lead their country,
- and what key issues they are going to promote for the next five years.
- If you do not participate, others are going to choose for you!
- Democracy and democratic political rights were hard earned rights all over the world, but in South Africa it was the liberty struggles that achieved equality for all.
- Until just 30 years ago, the majority of South African citizens were denied the right to vote and have any say in how the country was run.
- Thousands of people died, were beaten, tortured and jailed for demanding the right to vote.
