For the upcoming National and Provincial Elections, voters who will not be at their voting station in the voting district in which they are registered on Election Day will be able to cast their vote before 22 April 2009.
No, registration of voters for the 2009 Elections is now closed. The election date was proclaimed by the President on 12 February 2009, which means that the Voters’ Roll for the upcoming National & Provincial Elections is closed.
Before discussing
the different categories and the procedures in regard to special voting, it
is necessary that you understand that the Electoral Commission publishes an
Election Timetable for each election. The Election Timetable is a
requirement in terms of the Electoral Act and sets out the cut-off
dates by when certain things need to be done.
For the purposes of
special votes, it also determines the dates on which
special votes must be applied for, as well as when special
voting will take place. There may be different dates for the
different categories of special votes.
The information regarding special votes must be read together with the dates in the Election
Timetable.
Special voting is
prescribed by section 33 of the Electoral Act read with the provisions of
Chapter 3 of the Election Regulation.
If one of these
categories applies to you and you cannot vote at the voting station in the
voting district in which you are registered on Election Day (22 April), you can apply
for a special vote and vote before Election Day.
These categories
are prescribed in the Electoral Act and cannot be changed by the IEC. Choose
the applicable category and read more.
a) Physical infirmity, disability or pregnancy;
1)
If
due to physical infirmity, disability or pregnancy you are unable to
vote at your voting station in the voting district where you are registered
on Election Day (22 April), you can apply for a special vote and if it is approved, you
will be visited at the place where you are confined due to your condition.
2) You
must apply for a special vote by completing a VEC1 form; please note
that the IEC will not automatically visit places where a person may be
confined such as hospitals. Persons must apply for a special vote.
3) If
the place where you must be visited is in the same voting district where
you are registered, you must deliver or send your application form (VEC1 form) to the following:
a) Your IEC
Municipal Electoral Office that is responsible for your voting
district between 1 April 2009 and 14 April 2009. The
Municipal Electoral Office will then forward your application to the
presiding officer of your voting station.
b) or directly to
the office of the presiding officer of your voting station on 20 April 2009.
The Office of the
Presiding Officer will be situated at or close to your voting station.
4) If the
place where you must be visited is not in the municipality where your
voting district is, then you must deliver or send your application form
(VEC1 form) to the IEC Municipal Electoral Office of that
municipality who will then send your application to the presiding officer of
the voting district in which the place that you will be visited is situated;
5) The
presiding officer verifies if you are registered as a voter and must be
satisfied that you cannot vote due to physical infirmity, disability or
pregnancy;
6) If your
application is approved, the IEC will send two voting officials to
the address you provided on the VEC1 form on the date stated in the
Election Timetable;
7) You
will be required to produce your identity document to the officials;
8) Your
thumbnail will be marked with indelible ink, your identity document stamped
and you will receive the ballot paper(s). Please note that if the place
where you are voting is outside of the province in which voting district you
are registered, you will only receive a ballot for the National Assembly;
9) Once you
have marked the ballot(s) in secret, you must place and seal the ballot(s)
in an unmarked envelope and the unmarked envelope will then get
placed in another envelope that is marked with your name, ID
number and voting district (VD) number. The use of two envelopes is to
ensure the secrecy of your ballot;
10) The IEC
officials will take the envelope and place it in a secure ballot box for
special votes. Your name will be marked off from the Voters’ Roll with a
“SV” to indicate that you have cast a special vote.
b) Absence from the Republic on government service or membership of the
household of such a person;
If you are
outside the Republic on government service or a member of the household
of such a person, you can on the date stated in the Election Timetable,
go to your nearest South African foreign mission where you can
apply for a special vote.
1) You must be
registered as a voter in the voting district in the Republic where the
head office of your government department is situated;
2) You will
need to take your green bar-coded South African identity document and
passport to the mission;
3) The special
voting official will provide you with a VEC1 form to complete and in
your presence, consider your application;
4) If your
application is successful, your thumbnail will be marked with
indelible ink, your identity document stamped and you will receive one
ballot for National Assembly and one for the provincial legislature for the
province where the head office of your government department is situated;
5) Once you
have marked the ballots in secret, you must place and seal the ballots in an
unmarked envelope and the unmarked envelope will then get placed in
another envelope that is marked with your name, identity
number and voting district number. The use of two envelopes is to ensure the
secrecy of your ballot;
6) The
envelopes will be securely sealed and sent to the Chief Electoral Officer in
Pretoria, South Africa.
c) Absence from the voting district in which you are registered as a
voter while serving as an election officer or on duty as a member of the
security services in connection with the elections;
If you will not be
able to vote on Election Day (22 April) in the voting district where you are
registered because you are serving as an election officer or on duty as
member of the security services in the election concerned, you may apply for
a special vote;
1) On 20 or 21 April 2009, you have to
go to the office of the presiding officer which will be situated at or close
to your voting station where you are registered;
You must have your
green, bar-coded ID book or valid temporary identity certificate;
2) The
voting officer will provide you with a VEC1 form to complete and
will consider your application;
3) The
officer verifies if you are registered as a voter and if satisfied that you
cannot vote at your voting station in your voting district where you are
registered on election date due to serving as an election officer or on duty
as a member of the security services in connection with the elections, you
may vote;
4) Your
thumbnail will be marked with indelible ink, your identity document stamped
and you will receive a ballot paper for the National Assembly and a ballot
paper for the provincial legislature;
5) Once
you have marked the ballots in secret, you must place and seal the
ballots in an unmarked envelope and the unmarked envelope will then
get placed in another envelope that is marked outside with
your name and ID number; The use of two envelopes is to ensure the secrecy
of your ballot;
6) The
envelope is placed in a secure ballot box for special votes; and your name
will be marked off from the Voters’ Roll with a “SV” to indicate that you
have cast a special vote.
d) South African citizens absent from the Republic who want to cast a special vote outside of South Africa
If you will not be in the country on 22 April 2009, you can
apply for a special vote. Apply to vote at a South African foreign mission. To qualify for a special vote, you must first complete a VEC10 form to notify us of your intent to vote outside of SA, and send it to us before 27 March 2009.
Please note that a mission refers to an embassy or consulate, but does not include Honorary Consulates.
We will send you a notification to let you know if you can apply to cast your vote on 15 April 2009 at your nearest foreign mission (provided there is a SA foreign mission in the country where you wish to vote). You can call
your nearest foreign mission for more info on the special voting
day.
What do I
need to do?
1)
Notify the IEC
You need to notify
the Chief Electoral Officer of the following by completing a VEC10 form:
I.
Your intention to vote;
II. The
place where you intend to cast your vote.
The completed form
must be delivered to the Chief Electoral Officer, either by email, hand, post or
fax.
ADDRESS OF CHIEF ELECTORAL OFFICER
Email notifications to vec10@elections.org.za
Post
notifications to:
P O Box 7943,
Pretoria,
0001,
South Africa
Fax
notifications to:
(012) 428 5566
(012)
428 5279
Hand-deliver notifications
to:
Election House,
260 Walker Street,
Sunnyside,
Pretoria.
Your VEC10 form must be submitted by 27 March 2009, otherwise you won't be able to apply.
2) You must
indicate on the VEC10 form where you want to apply and cast your special
vote (i.e. at a foreign mission outside of South Africa). You cannot change
the place where you indicated you want to vote after 27 March.
3) Once
we receive your VEC10 form, the Chief Electoral Officer
checks if you are registered as a voter, and then informs the foreign
mission where you intend to vote that you may apply for a special vote;
4) You
go to the foreign mission, where you indicated (on your VEC10 form) you
wish to vote, on 15 April 2009 during their office hours;
5)
Take your green, bar-coded ID book and passport along;
6) At
the mission, you apply for a special vote by completing a VEC1 form and giving your passport to the voting officer. The
officer will, in your presence, consider your application, checking
that you have been notified by the Chief Electoral Officer that your VEC10 form was received, and that you can apply for a special vote;
7) If
your application is successful, you must produce your ID
book to the voting officer;
8)
Your
thumbnail will be marked with indelible ink, your ID book stamped
and you will receive one ballot for National Assembly;
9) Once
you have marked the ballot in secret, you must place and seal the
ballot in an unmarked envelope and the unmarked envelope is then
placed in another envelope that is marked outside with your
name, ID number and voting district number. The use of two envelopes
is to ensure the secrecy of your ballot;
10) The
envelopes will be securely sealed and sent to the Chief Electoral Officer of
the IEC. Your vote will be added to all other votes cast within South
Africa.
e) If you want to cast your vote at the voting station in the voting
district where you are registered before travelling outside South
Africa.
If you know that you will not be in the country on Election Day – 22 April 2009 - you will be able to apply for a special vote.
If your notification is successful, you will cast your vote at your voting station in the voting district that you are registered on the special voting days, being 20 and 21 April 2009.
What do I
need to do?
1)
Notify the IEC
You need to notify
the Chief Electoral Officer of the following by completing a VEC10 form:
I. Your
intention to vote;
II. The
place where you intend to cast your vote.
The completed form
must be delivered to the Chief Electoral Officer, by email, hand, post or
fax.
ADDRESS OF CHIEF ELECTORAL OFFICER
Email notifications to vec10@elections.org.za
Post
notifications to:
P O Box 7943,
Pretoria,
0001,
South Africa
Fax
notifications to:
012 428 5566
012
428 5279
Hand-deliver
notifications to:
Election House,
260 Walker Street,
Sunnyside,
Pretoria.
The VEC10 form must be submitted by 27 March 2009, otherwise you won't be able to apply for a special vote.
2) Based
on the information on the VEC10 form, the Chief Electoral Officer will
check whether you are registered as a voter, and then inform the presiding
officer of the voting district in which you are registered that you may
apply for a special vote there;
3) You
have to go to the office of the presiding officer of your voting
station on 20 or 21 April 2009 (9am to 5pm).
The office of the presiding officer will be situated at or close to your
voting station where you are registered. The date for application and
casting a special vote is normally two days before the election.
4) Take
your green, bar-coded ID book or valid temporary identity
certificate and passport along;
5) At
the voting station, you apply for a special vote by completing a VEC1 form. The
officer will, in your presence, consider your application, checking
that you have been notified by the Chief Electoral Officer that your VEC10 form was received, and that you can apply for a special vote;
6) If your application is successful, you must hand your ID book to the voting officer;
7) Your
thumbnail will be marked with indelible ink, your ID book
stamped and you will receive a ballot for the National Assembly and a ballot
for the provincial legislature;
8) Once
you have marked the ballots in secret, you must place and seal the
ballot in an unmarked envelope and the unmarked envelope will then
get placed in another envelope that is marked outside with
your name, identity number; The use of two envelopes is to ensure the
secrecy of your ballot
9) The
envelope is placed in a secure ballot box for special votes; and
10) Your
name will be marked on the Voters’ Roll with a “SV” to indicate that you
have cast a special vote.
