Johannesburg – Applications for special votes will close tomorrow, Friday, (3 May 2024), the Electoral Commission (IEC) has announced.
“In the last hours before the applications deadline, the Commission calls on registered voters who wish to vote by special vote to ensure that they submit applications as no late applications can be accommodated,” the IEC said in a statement released on Thursday.
“It’s your democracy, own it.”
The IEC said it was important to note that there are two categories of special votes affected by the deadline tomorrow.
“The first relates to home visits for those registered voters who are infirm or have impaired mobility,” said the IEC.
“Such voters may apply to be visited at home or a place of confinement.
“The second category of special votes is available to any registered voter who wishes to vote early at their voting station.”
The IEC said there was no automatic age-based qualification for a special vote.
The statement said special votes were available to all voters, but only upon application by the deadline date of 3 May 2024.
The IEC said persons who intend to vote by special vote must first apply or cause an application to be submitted on their behalf as follows:
- Using the secured online application form found at http://www.elections.org.za
- By sending the identity number of the voter by SMS to 32249 (R1.00 per SMS) for voting station visits only.
- By submitting an Appendix 1B form at the local office of the IEC for a voting station special vote.
- By submitting an Appendix 1A form at the local office of the IEC for a home visit special vote.
“Furthermore, the Commission reports that over a million special vote applications have already been approved for these elections,” the statement said.
A provincial breakdown of the approved special votes is as follows:
The IEC said in terms of the election timetable, both categories of special votes will be conducted will be conducted on 27 and 28 May, from 9 am to 5 pm.
