The Electoral Commission has today
tabled the report on the 2024 National and Provincial Elections (NPE), as
prescribed in section 14 of the Electoral Commission Act, to the National
Assembly as represented by the Portfolio Committee on Home Affairs.
The Election Report provides a full assessment of the
Commission’s work, successes, challenges, and, more importantly, the
environment under which the 2024 elections were held.
ACHIEVEMENTS
The Electoral Commission achieved the
following in NPE 2024:
- Successfully
added 1.2 million citizens to the voters' roll, bringing the total of
registered voters to a historic 27.7 million citizens for the first time. Of
the new registrations, 77% are young people under the age of 29 entering the
voters' roll for the first time. The online voter registration system continues
to be the mainstay platform for offering convenience to voters. The platform
has, to date, recorded over 2.4 million transactions, including citizens
registering as voters from outside of the Republic.
- Increased
the number of voting stations and points of service to 23 300, thus reducing
over time the number of average voters per voting district from 1 900 to 916
voters.
- Implemented
at short notice a revised electoral system facilitating the participation of
independent persons for the first time as candidates in national and provincial
elections. A total of 14 886 candidates were successfully nominated to contest
the 887 seats in the National Assembly and the nine provincial legislatures.
- Printed
90 million ballots to facilitate the elections. For the first time in general
elections, a third ballot was implemented to facilitate the election of
independent candidates to the National Assembly following the change in the
electoral system. Again, for the first time in a general election, a
double-column ballot paper was used in the elections. This was unavoidable and
necessary to accommodate the number of contestants on the national Proportional
Representative (PR) ballot.
- Recorded
a decline in the proportion of spoilt ballots – from 1.27% in 2019 to 1.10% in
2024.
- Remains
committed to its legal obligation to extend access to the vote. In this regard,
administrative efficiencies have been introduced to ensure the continued
participation of citizens who, but for special votes, would not be able to
vote. Special votes are available to registered voters who are unable to vote
at their voting station on voting day either because they are away or because
of infirmity, disability, or illness. Over 1.1 million voters voted by way of
special vote either at home or at a voting station. Of these, 39 114 were South
Africans who voted in any of the 110 South Africa's missions abroad.
- Ensured
independent voting for visually impaired voters through the Universal Ballot
Template (UBT). The template enables these voters to vote without revealing
their choice to electoral staff.
- Eliminated
attempts at so-called double-voting, with no reports of persons being able to
vote more times than they were entitled. This was so because of the amendment
effected by Parliament in 2021, to make voting outside the voting district at
which a voter is registered only available on pre-notification (Section 24A
voting).
- Ultimately,
enabled the electoral participation of 16.2 million registered voters in NPE
2024, resulting in a voter turnout of 58.6%, a decrease from 65.99% in 2019 and
73.48% in 2014.
CHALLENGES
The report also highlighted some of the
technical difficulties experienced during the elections. The Commission took
Parliament through the results management and transmission process and
demonstrated that the two-hour downtime of the leaderboard had no impact on the
integrity of the results counted and declared or on digital results system
because only the public-facing platforms were temporarily affected.
The NPE 2024 was by far the most highly
contested of South Africa's elections, with an overall 70 political parties, 11
of which were independent candidates, and 52 national parties. To put this into
perspective, 14 886 candidates were vying for 887 seats in the National and
Provincial Legislatures.
Such heightened contestation brought
challenges of its own, such as attacks on the Commission, coupled with mis- and
disinformation campaigns aimed at tarnishing the image of the organisation. The
Commission and some of its staff were targeted in cyberattacks and harassment
on social media.
FUTURE FOCUS ON LGE 2026
Electoral Commission Chairperson Mosotho
Moepya reaffirmed that, while no election is perfect, the NPE 2024 were
ultimately free and fair, meeting both constitutional standards and
international thresholds for credible elections. Despite facing unprecedented
challenges and extensive litigation, Moepya stated that the Commission
successfully conducted elections that were legitimate and reflected the will of
the people.
Moepya highlighted that the 2024 NPE
demonstrated the resilience of South Africa's electoral democracy, with over
16.2 million citizens participating in what were among the most peaceful
elections since democracy.
While acknowledging specific technical
challenges, Moepya emphasised these did not compromise the election's
integrity. The Chairperson expressed the Commission's deep regret for these operational
failures and committed to continuous improvement, with plans already being
developed to address logistical planning for future elections.
Finally, the Chairperson expressed the
Commission's deepest gratitude to everyone who played a crucial role in making
these elections a success. From the parties and independent candidates to the
election officials, party agents, observers, civil society organisations,
faith-based organisations, the media, organised business, and organised labour.
The Commission is now directing its full
attention and efforts towards the upcoming 2026 Local Government Elections
(LGE). The Commission will concentrate on several key areas, such as
registering voters, training election personnel, refining the electoral
process, and ensuring all logistical arrangements are in place to manage the
election efficiently. Additionally, efforts will be made to boost public
awareness and provide clear communication to ensure that voters are
well-informed and can fully engage in the election process.
Citizens are encouraged to register to vote online with
their ID in hand at www.registertovote.org.za – it's quick, safe and easy!
ISSUED
BY THE ELECTORAL COMMISSION
Ensuring
free, fair and credible elections
For media queries: Please contact Kate Bapela
on 082 600 6386
For media interviews: Email requests to [email protected]
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