More than 70% of eligible teens not yet registered to vote

ELECTION NEWS - With Youth Month serving as the backdrop, the Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) is placing young people at the centre of its voter registration drive this weekend, June 20 and 21.

Looking at the statistics, the IEC says more than 70% of eligible 18- to 19-year-olds have yet to register to vote.

Sy Mamabolo, the IEC’s CEO, explained that young people in this age group have not had many opportunities to register as they have only recently become eligible to vote.

To address this, the commission continues to strengthen youth participation through its Tertiary Institutions Campaign (TIC).

By March, the campaign had reached 269 552 students nationwide, of who 158 446 (59%) were newly registered voters.

Mamabolo said the IEC has 23 706 voting stations across the country, giving voters an opportunity to ensure their details are accurately captured and updated.

“The voters’ roll currently stands at 28 million registered voters, despite ongoing monthly reductions of approximately 34 000 due to mortality. The voters’ roll stood at 27.7 million during the 2024 general elections,” he explained.

For the IEC, the online registration platform has become a crucial element to grow the voters’ roll.

Operating times

Outlining the logistics of the weekend, Mamabolo said there will be 22 718 permanent stations, 960 temporary stations and 28 mobile stations for remote communities, operating from 08:00 to 17:00 on Saturday and Sunday.

KZN has the highest number of registration stations at 5 021, followed by the Eastern Cape with 4 984, Limpopo with 3 317, Gauteng with 2 832, Mpumalanga with 1 846, North West with 1 730, the Western Cape with 1 623, the Free State with 1 614 and the Northern Cape with 739.

“The increase in the number of stations from 23 151 in the 2021 local government elections is driven by the five-yearly review of wards by the Municipal Demarcation Board and the commission’s efforts to expand accessibility to voter registration services,” said Mamabolo.

Voter materials

There are 39 641 Voter Management Devices (VMDs) available for registration.

“These devices are central to modern voter registration operations, enabling real-time citizenship verification, accurate capture of voter details, and seamless integration with the voters’ roll,” he said.

In addition, the IEC has delivered stationery packs, directional signage and document storage boxes.

Staff

The commission has appointed and trained 48 212 registration staff.

“Of the appointed staff members, 37 994 are women and 10 218 are men. Furthermore, 22 599 staff members are under the age of 35, while 19 806 are between the ages of 36 and 50. The rest, 5 807 staff members, are aged 51 years and older. Significantly, 34 404 of the appointed staff members are unemployed qualified persons,” explained Mamabolo.

He said that to strengthen community engagement ahead of the elections, the commission has recruited 834 municipal outreach officers (MOCs).

“The MOCs include 52 from the disability sector, reinforcing the commission’s commitment to inclusive electoral participation. On 11 and 12 June, the commission trained more than 70 members of Blind SA on the use of the Universal Ballot Template as part of its efforts to promote inclusive electoral participation,” he said.

Through the initiative, the IEC aims to empower blind and visually impaired voters to cast their ballots independently.

Election deposits and online candidate nomination

“Following an extensive public consultation process, the commission has determined and published the election deposits applicable to the upcoming elections. These deposits are to be paid by those who intend to participate in the forthcoming election,” he said.

Participants who secure at least one seat in the election will have their deposits returned. Those who fail to do so will forfeit their deposits to the National Revenue Fund.

“With the deposits now determined, the commission is ready to make the Online Candidate Nomination System (OCNS) available to registered political parties and prospective independent candidates to capture their candidate and supporter information, respectively,” explained Mamabolo.

He advised political parties and prospective independent candidates to ensure that their contact details are accurate and up to date to facilitate effective communication from the commission.

“The commission will shortly commence training sessions for registered political parties and prospective independent candidates to prepare them for the submission of candidate nominations and supporters’ lists.”