How to register while living abroad
Ekurhuleni regional chairperson of the DA, Paul Willemburg, said it was vital that information about South Africans living abroad and casting their votes was relayed to as many citizens outside of South Africa as possible.
As in 2009, South Africans living in other parts of the world will be able to vote on the national ballot in the upcoming general election.
Over the course of the past few months, the DA has succeeded in reaching a large number of South Africans who live abroad, in order to inform them of the process of registration and voting while abroad.
In addition to South Africans who are residing abroad permanently, or for longer periods of time, the DA has received a number of queries from South Africans who will be travelling abroad temporarily on holiday or business on election day, requiring information on the process to vote abroad.
Willemburg has asked people to take special note of the following important information regarding this process:
n South Africans who are registered to vote, whether they are registered in South Africa or a broad, are able to vote at one of the available foreign missions, provided that they notify the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) of their intention to vote overseas using the VEC10 form.
n The VEC10 application will be available online for a 15-day window period, following the formal proclamation of the election date by the President.
Because the election date has not yet been formally proclaimed, this form is not yet available.
n Once the election date is proclaimed, South Africans who wish to vote abroad will be able to access and submit the VEC10 form online only at https://www.elections.org.za/content/For-Voters/How-to-register-and-vote-abroad/.
n Following online submission of the VEC10 form, the IEC will confirm that the voter is eligible to vote and send the voter an e-mail or SMS to let them know if and when they can vote at the foreign mission they selected. n A full list of the foreign missions serving as voting stations can be viewed here at https://www.dfa.gov.za/foreign/sa_abroad/index.htm.
Willemburg says that while the date of the overseas election date is not yet confirmed, it is likely that South Africans abroad will go to the polls seven days ahead of the May 7 election day in South Africa, on Wednesday, April 30.
In order to vote abroad, South Africans will need to take their green, bar-coded South African ID book, smart card ID or valid Temporary Identity Certificate (TIC), and their valid South African passport or temporary passport, to their chosen foreign mission to cast their vote in person on the yet to be specified election day abroad.
