IEC on final voter registration weekend for elections 2009

8 February 2009

Thousands of eligible voters were using the last day of the Independent
Electoral Commission’s (IEC) registration drive on Sunday to register as new
voters, re-register if they had moved or changed residence or to inspect their
details on the voter’s roll.

The IEC said it was confident that it will reach its target of 22 million
voters by the time President Kgalema Motlanthe proclaims the date of the
election and the voters’ roll closes.

“We expect final figures of the registration weekend around Wednesday. We
are confident that we will reach our target of 22 million eligible voters on
the voters’ roll,” said Brigalia Bam, Chairperson of the Independent Electoral
Commission.

All 19,726 registration stations were opened, including those delayed by
rainfall and in Moutse where six stations did not open on Saturday because of
protests and intimidation of eligible voters and IEC staff. The few service
delivery protests did not affect the registration process. Police officers were
securing all voting stations to ensure the safety of voters.

The weekend’s voter registration drive gave new voters a chance to register.
Eligible ones were being given a chance to check their voter registration
status, including confirming their voting stations for the 2009 polls.

By 11pm on Saturday an estimated R1 million people had visited the voting
stations to either register, re-register if they had moved or changed residence
or to inspect their details on the voters’ roll. The IEC’s website had more
than 46 786 hits and 65 472 SMSs had been received.

By Sunday at midday the IEC’s website had recorded a total of 22 079 hits
while the SMS facility had received 29 538 messages and 22 848 callers had
contacted the call centre to enquire about their registration status or at
which station they should register. So far, over the two days, the IEC’s
website has received more than 68 865 hits and the SMS facility had reached 95
010.

The IEC said it was disturbed by unsubstantiated reports that voters
belonging to certain political parties had been purged from the voters’
roll.
“We requested those parties to submit evidence of such irregularity. We want to
re-assure all South Africans that party affiliation has never been a
consideration for registering as a voter,” said Dr Bam.

“We once again remind all political parties that it is their responsibility
to create a climate conducive to the conduct of free and fair elections. The
IEC maintains an audit trail of the voters’ roll for every voter that has ever
applied for registration. We don’t have any voter that has ever been removed,”
she said.

Until President Motlanthe has proclaimed a date for the elections, eligible
voters are advised to continue registering or checking their registration
details at municipal electoral offices. They can also SMS their ID number to
32810, call the IEC toll free on 0800 118 000 from a landline or visit the IEC
website, www.elections.org.za to check their registration details.

“We thank all South Africans who have heeded our call to either register,
re-register and check their details this past weekend. “While the voting
stations will close at 5pm today (Sunday), nobody present at those stations at
the time will be turned away before they are registered or their details have
been checked,” said Dr Bam.

For more information please contact:
Mrs Kate Bapela
Cell 082 600 6386

Issued by: Independent Electoral Commission
8 February 2009
Source: Independent Electoral Commission (www.elections.org.za)