Voters encouraged to honour their date with democracy
This is indeed a very special year for all South Africans as we celebrate 20 years of freedom and democracy.
According to Chantel Cronje, a legal advisor at Legal and Tax, voting is the most available form of public participation in the political realm, and the physical act of casting one’s vote means that South Africans are willing to take responsibility for their future.
“At the heart of this historic time in our lives sit the National and Provincial Elections taking place on May 7. This event represents an opportunity for each and every citizen to play a meaningful role in the country’s constitutional and multi-party democracy,” says Cronje.
“But casting a vote is about more than just choosing a party and claiming membership thereof. Your vote is your voice and the act of standing up for what you believe – it helps to preserve our way of life, and even change it for the better.
“More votes cast mean more voices heard and we encourage all eligible South Africans to stand up and be heard on May 7.
“Any democracy only reaches its fullest potential when the voter percentage is high. If this is not the case political parties cannot know what their real support base in society is,” says Cronje.
“What’s more, if the voter percentage is low, minorities will have a lesser say. This is the beauty of a democracy – the more people who vote, the stronger any democracy’s lifeline.”
The will of a nation can only be recognised and honoured through its citizenry taking this first duty of democracy to heart! For decades we fought for this most important of constitutional rights.
A quick guide to the 2014 National Elections
* Voter registration date: February 25 was the final day for local registration applications. The cut-off date for registrations abroad was February 7.
* Voter registration status: Visit www.elections.org.za or SMS your ID number to 32810 to check your registration status as a voter. You can also make an appointment to visit your local IEC office (not the National or Provincial offices).
Where do I vote:
* To find out where your voting station is, visit www.elections.org.za and click on “My Voter Registration Details”. You can then use the online voting station finder to find a map to your voting station.
* You need to vote at the voting station where you’re registered to vote. However, if you’re outside your voting district on Election Day, you may vote at another voting station in South Africa.
If you’re outside the province where you registered, you’ll only be able to vote in the National Election and not the Provincial Election. If you have registered as a voter, but will be out of the country on the day of elections, you have to apply for a special vote.
* If you can’t travel to your voting station because you are physically infirm, disabled or pregnant, voting officials will visit you at your home (it must however be within the voting district where you’re registered) and allow you to vote.
* If you can travel, but can’t vote at your voting station on Election Day, you will vote at your voting station on the date specified in the election timetable (usually a day or two before Election Day).
What do I need to bring with on May 7?
Only your green, bar-coded SA ID books and Temporary Identity Certificates are valid for the elections. Citizens with a blue ID book, drivers licence or passport have to apply for a green bar-coded ID or Temporary Identity Certificate at Home Affairs in order (to register) or vote in this election.
For those who have registered, but have lost their ID with the sticker in it, or for those waiting for their new ID book to arrive, the good news is that they can still vote. In order to do so, just get a Temporary Identity Certificate (TIC) that will be valid on Election Day.
You can apply for your TIC at the Department of Home Affairs. Please also check your registration details and confirm that your name appears on the voters’ roll (please check your voter registration status online). You can re-register if necessary, as you must be on the voters’ roll to vote.
Special Votes
By law, you can apply for a special vote if you: can’t travel to your voting station because you are physically infirm, disabled or pregnant; or can’t vote at your voting station on Election Day.
Special vote dates for the 2014 National and Provincial Elections are May 5 and 6.
* You can apply if you are a registered voter; have a green, bar-coded ID book; smartcard ID; or a valid Temporary Identity Certificate.
* If you’re a member of the SAPS or SANDF and are on duty on Election Day, you also need to apply for a special vote.
