An increase in new voters registered
The IEC has reported that 25.3-million South Africans are recorded as registered and ready to vote in the national and provincial elections.
The report also reveals that 1 259 560 new voters are registered to vote on May 7.
According to IEC spokesperson, Kate Bapela, the new registrations lifted the overall registration level from 76.9 per cent prior to the weekend, to 80.5 per cent of all eligible voters today.
“Combined with the 1.1-m new voters who registered for the first time in November, some 2.3-m new voters will have been added onto the voters’ roll for the first time since November 8.
“This is about 17 per cent higher than the target the Electoral Commission had set of two-million,” says Bapela.
Bapela adds that a total of just short of 3-m people visited the 22 263 voting stations during the registration weekend.
Prisoner registration was also conducted at correctional service facilities throughout South Africa on Thursday and Friday, February 6 and 7, respectively.
This resulted in 9 949 applications for registration by prisoners.
Registration has also been underway for overseas voters at South African diplomatic missions abroad.
“As of yesterday, we had received 3 521 applications for registration. According to figures provided by the Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO) we anticipate approximately 700 more applications are being couriered to us for capturing,” says Bapela.
“A further 1.48-m registered voters also used the weekend opportunity to change their new voting station, and 183 377 people re-registered at the same voting station.”
Registration remains open for eligible voters until 5pm on the day of proclamation, which is expected later this month.
Eligible voters can still register at their local IEC office until that day, after which the voters’ roll closes.
Contact details for IEC offices are available on www.elections.org.za or you may call 0800 11 8000.
Voters who registered this weekend may check their new registration details by SMSing their ID number to 32810.
