Voter registration will be held this weekend for a bumper 45 by-elections, scheduled to take place on Wednesday, 14 December 2022. Thirty-nine (39) of these by-elections are as a result of the dissolution of the Ditsobotla Local Council, in the North West, with 20 ward seats and 19 Proportional Representation (PR) seats to be contested in the 14 December by-elections. 

Voting stations in the wards listed below will be open this Saturday, 29 October 2022, and Sunday, 30 October 2022, from 08h00 to 17h00 to allow all eligible voters to register and for current voters to check their registration details and to provide/update address details where necessary.

Voters should take their identity document (ID) with them – either a green barcoded ID book, a smartcard ID, or a valid Temporary ID Certificate. They will also need to complete their physical home address on registration or provide sufficient particularities of their place of residence. Documented proof of address (e.g. a municipal account) is not required. 

Voters may also check and update their details at their local (municipal) Electoral Commission (IEC) office weekdays during office hours, or online at https://registertovote.elections.org.za. 

Voters are reminded that it is a criminal offence to register and vote in a ward in which they are not ordinarily resident.

By-elections will be held in the following wards:

KwaZulu-Natal

• Ward 99 eThekwini – ETH, with 15 930 registered voters, which became vacant as a result of the councillor’s death. Registration and voting will take place at the following stations:

Mpumalanga

• Ward 03 Mkhondo – MP303, with 4 273 registered voters, which became vacant as a result of the councillor’s expulsion by the MEC. Registration and voting will take place at the following stations:

• Ward 04 Mkhondo – MP303, with 3 573 registered voters, which became vacant as a result of the councillor’s expulsion by the MEC. Registration and voting will take place at the following stations:

• Ward 13 Mkhondo – MP303, with 5 550 registered voters, which became vacant due to the councillor’s expulsion by MEC. Registration and voting will take place at the following stations:

• Ward 16 Mkhondo – MP303 with 3 807 registered voters, which became vacant due to the councillor’s expulsion by MEC. Registration and voting will take place at the following stations:

• Ward 18 Mkhondo – MP303 with 3 006 registered voters, which became vacant due to the councillor’s expulsion by MEC. Registration and voting will take place at the following stations:

North West

Following the dissolution of the Ditsobotla Local Council, all 20 ward seats and 19 Proportional Representation (PR) seats will be contested in these by-elections. This means that all voters will get two (2) ballot papers: one to vote for the party of their choice and the other to elect the ward candidate of their choice. The affected wards are as follows:

• Ward 01 Ditsobotla – NW384, with 2 766 registered voters. Registration and voting will take place at the following stations:

•  Ward 02 Ditsobotla -  NW384, with 2 728 registered voters. Registration and voting will take place at the following stations:

•  Ward 03 Ditsobotla – NW384 with 3 901 registered voters. Registration and voting will take place at the following stations:

•  Ward 04 Ditsobotla – NW384, with 5 616 registered voters. Registration and voting will take place at the following stations:

•  Ward 05 Ditsobotla – NW384, with 1 674 registered voters. Registration and voting will take place at the following stations:

•  Ward 06 Ditsobotla – NW384, with 3 842 registered voters. Registration and voting will take place at the following stations:

•  Ward 07 Ditsobotla – NW384, with 3 166 registered voters. Registration and voting will take place at the following stations:

•  Ward 08 Ditsobotla – NW384, with 3 473 registered voters. Registration and voting will take place at the following stations:

•  Ward 09 Ditsobotla – NW384, with 3 897 registered voters. Registration and voting will take place at the following stations:

•  Ward 10 Ditsobotla – NW384, with 3 453 registered voters.  Registration and voting will take place at the following stations:

•  Ward 11 Ditsobotla – NW384, with 3 590 registered voters. Registration and voting will take place at the following stations:

•  Ward 12 Ditsobotla – NW384, with 3 211 registered voters. Registration and voting will take place at the following stations:

•  Ward 13 Ditsobotla – NW384, with 3 311 registered voters. Registration and voting will take place at the following stations:

•  Ward 14 Ditsobotla – NW384, with 3 518 registered voters. Registration and voting will take place at the following stations:

•  Ward 15 Ditsobotla – NW384, with 3817 registered voters. Registration and voting will take place at the following stations:

•   Ward 16 Ditsobotla – NW384, with 2969 registered voters. Registration and voting will take place at the following stations:

•   Ward 17 Ditsobotla – NW384, with 3561 registered voters. Registration and voting will take place at the following stations:

•   Ward 18 Ditsobotla – NW384, with 3925 registered voters. Registration and voting will take place at the following stations:

•  Ward 19 Ditsobotla – NW384, with 2 708 registered voters. Registration and voting will take place at the following stations:

•    Ward 20 Ditsobotla – NW384, with 3 714 registered voters. Registration and voting will take place at the following stations:

Special voting will take place at voting stations as well as through home visits on 13 December 2022 between 08h00 and 17h00. Voters wishing to apply to cast a special vote can apply at their local IEC office during office hours between 28 November

and 2 December 2022.

Applications for special votes can also be made online via the IEC’s website, www.elections.org.za. Once voters have applied online they will receive an SMS notifying them of the outcome when their application has been processed. They can also check the status of their special vote application online at www.elections.org.za.

Voters can also apply for special votes via cellphone by SMSing their identity number to 32249 (charged at R1). The SMS application facility is only available for those applying to cast a special vote at their voting station and NOT for home visits.

For more information on these by-elections contact your local (municipal) IEC office weekdays during office hours. Contact details for all IEC offices are available on the IEC website at www.elections.org.za under Contact Us.

Although South Africa no longer has COVID-19 restrictions in place, the Electoral Commission will continue to provide the following to safeguard voters and electoral staff:

•  Face masks for voluntary use by electoral staff

•  Hand sanitizers at voting stations and home visits

•  Disposable wipes for sanitisation of pens and voting station surfaces

•  Indelible ink dispensed from bottles using a single-use disposable cotton bud.

Voters are no longer required to wear masks or face coverings within a voting station, although they may continue to do so at their discretion. Similarly, voters are no longer required to sanitise their hands on entry to voting stations, but may do so if they wish.

ELECTION TIMETABLE FOR MUNICIPAL BY-ELECTIONS CALLED ON OR BEFORE 4 NOVEMBER TO BE HELD ON 14 DECEMBER 2022

The cut-off dates for the various electoral processes for these by-elections are as follows:

(Note: All deadlines are at 17h00 on the date listed)