Cape Town - President Cyril Ramaphosa has remained silent on the date for the elections, despite urgent calls for him to announce it.
The IEC has said the president will have to make an announcement on the date for the polls soon, and while everyone waits, the IEC is forging ahead with registering voters this weekend.
IEC provincial commissioner in the Western Cape, Courtney Sampson said the IEC was ready to host the final voter registration weekend next week. According to the IEC, more than 3 million people were registered to vote in the Western Cape alone.
With the voter registration set to take place, here are things you may need to know before you register:
How do I register?
To vote in South Africa’s elections, you must register as a voter. You only have to register once, unless you move (within South Africa) or your voting district boundaries change.
Who can register?
You must:
- be a South African citizen;
- be at least 16 years old (you can only vote from age 18); and
- and have a green, bar-coded ID book; smartcard ID; or valid Temporary Identity Certificate (TIC).
- When and where can I register?
Apply for registration at the voting station for your voting district on the final registration weekend for the 2019 National and Provincial Elections set for 26-27 January 2019. Voting stations will be open 8am-5pm both on the Saturday and Sunday.
What documents do I need to apply for registration?
By law, you must apply in person (no online or email registrations are permitted). Please bring your:-
- green, bar-coded ID book;
- smartcard ID; or
- valid Temporary Identity Certificate (TIC).
My voter registration details
To check your voter registration details, you can either:
- Enter your ID number on the website here to get your registration status, voting station info and ward number; OR
- SMS your ID Number to 32810 (R1.00 per SMS)
Moved since you registered?
If you have moved home (even a short distance) since you registered, your voting district and voting station may have changed and you may need to re-register. Important: During municipal and by-elections, you can only vote at the voting station where you're registered to vote, so it's essential to re-register when you move.
How do I know if I need to re-register?
If you have moved a short distance, it's possible that you are still in the same voting district and don't need to re-register. If you have moved a long distance, you most likely will need to register again.
To find out if you need to re-register:
- Check your voter registration details and make a note of your voting station and voting district number.
- Go to the IEC's voting station finder and search for your current home address. On the map, locate the voting district number (blue digits within the green borders of your district - see below). Compare the voting district number here to your registration details - if they're not the same, you need to re-register in your new voting district.