Register to vote

All eligible voters are encouraged to check their voter registration status when the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) holds its first voter registration weekend on November 18 and 19, ahead of the general elections next year.

Minister in the presidency, Khumbudzo Ntshavheni, said: “Cabinet is calling on all eligible voters to register to vote in the 2024 general elections at your nearest voting stations.”

The minister said online voter registration had already commenced, with citizens urged to make use of the online facility to register or update their details.

“South Africans, who have applied for their IDs, are encouraged to visit their local home affairs office to collect them. There are more than 500,000 smart ID cards still to be collected at home affairs offices across the country,” she said.

The IEC has said 22,300 voting stations will be open during the voter registration weekend.

The commission explained that only SA citizens 18 years and older can vote.

“To register, you need an SA identity document – either a green barcoded ID book, a smart ID card, or a valid temporary ID certificate. To register, you must also provide an address or description of where you live, so that the IEC can place you in the correct ward and voting district. No proof of address is needed.

“If you don’t have an ID, please apply for one at home affairs as soon as possible. In addition to their normal working hours, home affairs offices will be open on November 18 and 19 November, from 8am to 5pm, to coincide with the voter registration weekend.

“In the 2024 elections, you must register at the voting station for the voting district where you live, and vote where you are registered,” the commission said.