Your Vote Has Been Cast: What Now?

The Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) provided an update on the 2024 general elections during a media briefing on Thursday afternoon. Chief Electoral Officer Sy Mamabolo led the briefing, marking the conclusion of the voting process and outlining the steps ahead.

Screenshot: Facebook Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC)

Mamabolo reported that the final ballot was cast early in the morning. The IEC assisted all voters who were still in the queue by 9:00 p.m. on Wednesday evening. A few voting stations remained open until 3:00 a.m. to accommodate those in line. The first results, from the Winnie Madikizela-Mandela Municipality in the Eastern Cape, were announced just after midnight.

As of 4:00 PM, results were finalized for 22.6% of the 23,292 voting districts, representing 2.3 million votes. The rate of result capture varies by province. Mamabolo emphasized that results are only considered complete after undergoing rigorous verification procedures.

The counting process includes several layers of verification. Once results are counted and finalized, the presiding officer and party agents sign the result slip in the presence of observers. The slip is then placed in a tamper-evident bag and transported to the local capture site, where further checks and balances ensure its accuracy. The result slip, bearing a unique barcode, is captured onto the system and matched with the appropriate voting district. External auditors then verify the results. If any discrepancies are flagged, the results are investigated and, if necessary, recaptured.

Historically, 80% of votes are counted within the first 24 hours. Mamabolo noted that the introduction of a third ballot has slowed down the counting process this year, especially in metropolitan areas. Nevertheless, the IEC is confident in completing the results within the statutory seven-day period. Mamabolo assured that the IEC has historically met this deadline and aims to do so again.

By Veerle Kroon