The Electoral Commission has encouraged South Africans, who will not be able to cast their votes on 1 November 2021 at their voting station, to apply for special votes.
Voters who are not able to cast their votes on Election Day and those who are not able to travel to the voting stations due to physical infirmity or disability can vote by special vote on the two days preceding Election Day.
Applications for special votes opened on 20 September and will close on 4 October 2021 at 17h00.
Chief Electoral Officer, Sy Mamabolo, said that eligible voters, who are unable to travel to the voting station and have successfully applied for a special vote, will be visited at their places of residence or confinement on 30 or 31 October 2021.
“Everyone’s vote counts. If you’re a registered voter and you cannot vote at your voting station on Election Day, you can apply and if approved, vote by special vote,” Mamabolo said.
Mamabolo also appealed to those who will be on duty on Election Day such as police officers, nurses, doctors and members of the media, to apply for special votes.
“If approved, this category of voters will cast their ballots at their voting station of registration on 30 or 31 October 2021,” Mamabolo said.
To qualify for a special vote, a person must be registered as a voter and they must apply by the cut-off date and time, which is 4 October 2021 at 17h00.
On the day of special votes, approved voters must present a green bar-coded Identity Book, a smart Identity Card or a valid temporary identity certificate.
There are two categories of special votes cast in South Africa – the first of which is the special vote cast during home visits and the second type of special vote is cast at a voting station.
Registered voters may apply for a special vote if they:
- Are unable to vote on voting day in the voting district at the voting station where registered to vote (voting station special vote); and
- Are unable to travel to their voting station where registered to vote owing to physical infirmity or disability (home visit special vote).
Methods of special vote applications that voters can utilize when applying for special votes
Applications for special votes cast at a voter’s voting station can be made by:
- Submitting an online application on www.elections.org.za.
- Applying via SMS – send voter ID number to 32249.
- Applying in person or by having an application (appendix 25 form) hand delivered to the Municipal Electoral Office.
Applications for special votes in a home visit:
- Voters may apply online www.elections.org.za.
- Applying in person or by having an application (appendix 25 form) hand delivered to the Municipal Electoral Office.
All applicants for both types of special votes will receive an SMS notifying them of the outcome of their application once it has been processed.
Voters can also check the status of their special vote application online by visiting www.elections.org.za or by sending their ID number by SMS to 32711. – SAnews.gov.za
Alan Straton
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