NATIONAL NEWS - The first voter registration drive will take place over the weekend of 20 and 21 June, when voting stations across the country will open for residents to register for the first time, check their details, or update their residential addresses.

These registration weekends form part of the preparations for the local government elections scheduled for 4 November, and residents are encouraged to make use of the opportunity early rather than leaving it to the last minute.

With the election date approaching, the message from election officials is clear: ensure you are registered well ahead of time and that your details are correct. 

Online voter registration remains open and provides a quick, safe and convenient way to register or update information.

First-time voters

First-time voters aged 16 and older are also encouraged to register now. Although voting is only permitted from the age of 18, early registration ensures eligibility is already in place once a person reaches voting age.

Confirmation

Voters who are already registered are urged to confirm that their information is still accurate, particularly their residential address. This is especially important for local government elections, where voters are only allowed to cast their ballot at the voting station linked to their registered address.

If a voter has moved and failed to update their details, they may not be able to vote in their new area on election day.

Take a few minutes to register, check your status, or update your details online on the Electoral Commission's website: registertovote.elections.org.za.

What is special about this drive?

During most of the year, you can still register online or at IEC offices, but voter registration drives like the weekend of 20 and 21 June are different because:

• voting stations open specifically for registration (not voting) across the country;
• it happens on set weekend dates only, not continuously;
• people can access their local voting station in person, especially to fix address issues or check their ward;
• it focuses on ensuring voters are correctly assigned to the right voting district before an election.

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