ELECTIONS - Here’s what you need to know about casting your vote in the national and provincial elections. 

Remember that you must be a registered voter in South Africa in order to vote.

To confirm that your name is on the voters’ roll and to find out which voting station you’re registered at, check your voter registration status online or SMS your ID number to 32810. To locate your voting station on a map, check the IEC’s online voting station finder.

You can vote if you have your valid, green, bar-coded ID; smartcard ID; or valid Temporary Identity Certificate (TIC) and you are registered to vote. When you register to vote, a receipt is pasted in your ID book.

You must have turned 18 on or before the day of the elections.

You must vote at the voting station at which you are registered to vote. If you are voting at a voting station in a different province to the one you are registered at, you may only vote for a national candidate.

If you qualify for a special vote and you have not arranged to vote, it is too late to do so now for the 2019 national and provincial elections.

If you have not received your new ID book or have lost it, you can vote if you have a Temporary Identity Certificate (TIC) that is valid on Election Day. You can apply for a TIC at the Department of Home Affairs. Remember, you will only be able to vote if you are a registered voter.

You don’t need to re-register if your ID book is in your maiden name, but your married name appears on the voters’ roll. Your ID number is used and checked against the National Population Register (NPR). The Department of Home Affairs automatically changes your name when you get married, and that is the name that appears on the voters’ roll. You can apply to Home Affairs for a new ID reflecting your married name if you want to.

Check that your ballot paper has been stamped on the back of the paper. Without a stamp your vote will not be counted.

You need not be concerned about security and intimidation at voting stations. There are police and/or army personnel at every voting station to ensure your safety.

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