The Electoral Commission encourages South Africans to apply for special votes. Voters who will not be able to cast their votes on 1 November 2021 at their voting station and those voters who are not able to travel to the voting stations because of physical infirmity or disability can vote by special vote on the two days preceding Election Day.

Applications for special votes opened on September 20 and will close on 04 October 2021 at 17h00.

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.

Sy Mamabolo, the Chief Electoral Officer encouraged eligible voters who cannot travel to their voting stations or those who will be away from their voting districts on election day to apply for a special vote. “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.

He appealed to those who would be on duty on Election Day – November 01 – 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.

Requirements for special vote are:

To qualify for a special vote, a person must be registered as a voter, they must apply by the cut-off date and time which is 04 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.

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

Voting Station Special Votes:

Voters may apply online www.elections.org.za(link is external)

Apply via SMS – send voter ID number to 32249

Apply in person or by causing an application, appendix 25 form, to be hand delivered to the Municipal Electoral Office.

Home visit Special Votes:

Voters may apply online www.elections.org.za(link is external)

Apply in person or by causing an application, appendix 25 form, to be hand delivered to the Municipal Electoral Office.

Once the Electoral Commission has received and considered a special vote application, a voter will be notified by SMS about the status of their special vote application.

Source: Government of South Africa