Voter Registration this weekend for wards to be contested in Municipal Ward By-elections on 22 March 2023

Voter registration will be held this weekend for two of the three municipal ward by-elections scheduled to take place on 22 March 2023.

Voting stations in the wards listed below will be open this Saturday, 4 February 2023 and 5 February 2023, from 08h00 to 17h00 to allow all eligible voters to register and for current voters to check their registration details and to provide/update address details where necessary.

Voters should take their identity document (ID) with them – either a green barcoded ID book, a smartcard ID, or a valid Temporary ID Certificate. They will also need to complete their physical home address on registration or provide sufficient particularities of their place of residence. Documented proof of address (e.g. a municipal account) is not required.

Voters may also check and update their details at their local (municipal) Electoral Commission (IEC) office on weekdays during office hours.

Voters are reminded that it is a criminal offence to register and vote in a ward in which they are not ordinarily resident.

Please note that another registration drive will not be held for the Ward 12 Dannhauser – vacancy, the by-election for which was initially scheduled for 18 January 2023. The registration weekend was already held on 12 and 13 November 2022.

Ward 12 has 4 245 registered voters, which became vacant as a result of the councillor’s resignation. Voting will take place at the following stations:

Western Cape

• Ward 02 Swellendam – WC034, with 3 616 registered voters, which became vacant as a result of the termination of Councillors Membership from the party being terminated. Registration and voting will take place at the following stations:

Special voting will take place at voting stations as well as through home visits on 20 March 2023 between 08h00 and 17h00. Voters wishing to apply to cast a special vote can apply at their local IEC office during office hours between 6 March 2023 and 10 March 2023.

Applications for special votes can also be made online via the IEC’s website, www.elections.org.za(link is external). Once voters have applied online they will receive an SMS notifying them of the outcome when their application has been processed. They can also check the status of their special vote application online at www.elections.org.za(link is external).

Voters can also apply for special votes via cellphone by SMSing their identity number to 32249 (charged at R1). The SMS application facility is only available for those applying to cast a special vote at their voting station and NOT for home visits.

For more information on these by-elections contact your local (municipal) IEC office weekdays during office hours. Contact details for all IEC offices are available on the IEC website at www.elections.org.za(link is external) under Contact Us.

Although South Africa no longer has COVID-19 restrictions in place, the Electoral Commission will continue to provide the following to safeguard voters and electoral staff:

• Face masks for voluntary use by electoral staff

• Hand sanitizers at voting stations and home visits

Voters are no longer required to wear masks or face coverings within a voting station, although they may continue to do so at their discretion. Similarly, voters are no longer required to sanitise their hands on entry to voting stations, but may do so if they wish.

Source: Government of South Africa