Why?
You may vote in an election only if your name appears on the Voters’ Roll.

Background
The IEC is required by the Constitution and the Electoral Commission Act to compile and maintain a national common voters' roll. The Voters' Roll has to be certified before any election. Apart from containing the particulars of individual voters, the Voters' Roll is an important planning tool for the IEC and a key to preventing electoral fraud. Its correctness affects not only the credibility of the voting process but also the IEC’s planning and management decisions.

The Voters’ Roll itself
For elections to be free and fair, the Voters' Roll must be as accurate and inclusive as possible. Voters' details must be captured correctly and completely. A voter’s particulars will appear only once on the Voters' Roll, and only on that segment of the roll where the voter was last registered. At election time the roll is divided into segments for use at individual voting stations.

Requirements for registration
To be entered on the roll you must:

• apply for registration in person
• be a South African citizen
• possess and show a valid barcoded identity document (ID) or valid temporary identity certificate (TIC)

Important
You may apply to register only for the voting district in which you are ordinarily resident. Where you are “ordinarily resident” is defined as the home or place where you live or to which you regularly return after any temporary period of absence.