IEC pleased with turnout of first day of voter registration weekend

More than 300 000 eligible voters visited voter registration centres within 5 hours of its opening at 8a.m on Saturday.

This was revealed by the IEC’s Masego Sheburi, who gave an update on Saturday afternoon, on the progress on the first day of the voter registration weekend.

PHOTO: IEC

He says of the more than 300 000, about 55 000 persons registered for the first time. He added that 7 234 registered for the first time online, on Saturday.

‘’In the initial hours of this two-day registration weekend, an impressive 304 221 voters have visited voting stations. Of these, 55 019 were persons who were registering for the first time. This early turnout not only sets a positive tone for the registration period but also serves as a testament that citizens remain engaged with affairs of their country,’’ said Masego Sheburi, IEC Deputy Electoral Officer.

‘’The Electoral Commission extends sincere appreciation to the citizens of this great nation for their enthusiastic participation. Whether you are a first-time participant or a seasoned voter, we encourage all South Africans to seize this historic moment by registering and casting their votes in the forthcoming elections,’’ he added.

Sheburi says the second registration weekend got off to a good start.

‘’The online registration platform continues to prove that it is the mainstay of registrations in between general voter registration weekends. We recorded just under 200 000 new registrations since the registration weekend in November 2023. Overall registration activity in that period is 498 000. This is a historic feat.’’

‘’It is important to reiterate that our collective goal, as a nation, is to ensure that every one of the eligible voters in South Africa is registered to vote in the 2024 National and Provincial Elections.  It is, therefore, apposite that we 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 upon notification to the Electoral Commission by a date to be regulated by the Election Timetable,’’ added Sheburi.

 

Done By: Mitchum George

 

Done By: Mitchum George