The Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) has announced the commencement of the overseas voting process for the 2024 National and Provincial Elections. South African citizens residing abroad have the opportunity to cast their votes on the 17th and 18th of May, with certain locations extending to the 19th due to high voter turnout.
Sy Mamabolo, the IEC’s Chief Electoral Officer, confirmed that nine countries will participate in the voting process on Friday, 17th May, while the remaining 102 countries will follow on Saturday, 18th May. London, anticipating a substantial number of voters totaling 24,194, will have its voting station operational for an additional day, on the 19th of May.
The international voters’ roll includes 56,698 registered individuals, with an expected turnout of 76,580 voters. This follows the approval of 20,886 VEC10 notifications, which are declarations by voters of their intent to vote outside South Africa due to temporary absence.
Mamabolo assured that the IEC is fully prepared to facilitate a smooth voting experience across 111 foreign missions. Essential election materials such as ballot papers, voting booths, ballot boxes, envelopes, and voter lists have been dispatched to all locations.
Voting stations will welcome voters from 07:00 AM to 19:00 PM local time, enabling the 76,580 registered expatriates to partake in the democratic process.
The IEC will also provide extended support hours on both voting days to address any inquiries from the electorate. It is important to note that South African citizens can only vote on one designated day at their respective missions:
- Missions observing a Sunday to Thursday work week will conduct voting on Friday, 17th May, from 7 AM to 7 PM. The countries scheduled for this date include Algiers, Amman, Cairo, Damascus, Jeddah, Kuwait City, Ramallah, Riyad, and Teheran.
- Missions with a Monday to Friday work week will hold voting on Saturday, 18th May, from 7 AM to 7 PM.
The UK, due to its high number of registered voters, will have two days allocated for special votes.
Source: SAnews
