Nearly 60% of Western Cape residents to cast special vote w.r.t LGE2021

The Special Vote application process for the upcoming Local Government Elections ended on Monday , 4 October 2021.

A special vote allows a registered voter who cannot vote at their voting station on Election Day to apply to vote on a pre-determined day before Election Day. This includes registered voters that cannot travel to a voting station on Monday 1 November because of being physically infirm, differently abled or pregnant.

These registered voters that applied under those conditions, will have the opportunity to cast a special vote at the place where they ordinarily reside in their voting district, on the predetermined dates only.

The IEC in the Western Cape said that close to 60% of registered voters made use of the IEC online portal to apply for a special vote.

‘’To date, across the Western Cape, a total of 115 601 registered voters, out the 3 111 930 on the Western Cape Voters Roll, are expected to visit voting stations on Saturday 30  and Sunday 31 October or will be visited at home by IEC officials - to vote,’’ said WC IEC electoral officer, Michael Hendrickse

‘’Of these registered voters that applied for a special vote, 46 126 will be visited at home, by IEC officials, in the voting district where the voter resides and 69 475 will go to the voting station in the voting district where they are registered to vote and live. Nearly 60% of registered voters made use of the IEC online portal to apply for a special vote,’’ he added.

“Special votes grants registered voters who would otherwise not have been able to come to a voting station on Monday 1 November, the opportunity to exercise their constitutional franchise” said Michael Hendrickse, Provincial Electoral Officer.

A total of 38 128 registered voters that applied to vote in the City of Cape Town Metro, will cast their special votes over the two days between 8am and 5pm, of which 23 424  are expected to visit voting stations and 11 717 will receive home visits.

The registered voters will vote as follows w.r.t special votes:

       The thumbnail is marked with indelible ink.

       The relevant ballot paper(s) will be issued

       The voter will mark the ballot(s) in secret, place and seal the ballot(s) in an unmarked envelope.

       The unmarked envelope is placed in another envelope that is marked with the voters name, ID number and voting district (VD) number. The use of two envelopes is to ensure the secrecy of the ballot (the outer envelope is discarded on verification of the voter’s details on the Voters Roll at the voting station).

       IEC officials then place envelope  in a secure ballot box for special votes.

       The voters name is marked off the Voters' Roll with “SV” to indicate that a special vote have been cast.

 

Done By: Mitchum George