George voters' roll grows by 2 073

GEORGE NEWS - Altogether 10 847 voters registered in George during the first national voter registration weekend for the local government elections later this year.

Of these, 2 073 are new voters and include 133 people under the age of 18 and 1 118 in the age group 18-21.

There were 4 129 re-registrations and 4 645 voters who had moved to a new voting district, according to the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC).

Seasoned political journalist Eugene Gunning welcomed George's new voters. "They now simply need to join the thousands of other voters at the polls on 4 November. It should be remembered that voters are the oxygen of elections. A high voter turnout strengthens the credibility of an election."

Gunning said overall, 2 073 new voters might not seem like a large number, but every vote is ultimately important. "There is certainly a positive outcome from the weekend. A total of 1 118 new voters in the 18-21 age group registered. Young people are sometimes accused of not being involved. They are regarded as the future, and if they do vote on 4 November, it could send a strong message that they want to be involved in shaping their own future."

He said a challenge the IEC often faces during registration weekends is that some people assume there will be other opportunities to register later. There are also those who feel that the election is still a long way off.

Lenore Oliver, Western Cape media liaison officer for the IEC Western Cape, said they are satisfied that operationally, the registration weekend went smoothly.

Asked for comment on the number of new registrations in George which has been perceived as fairly low, Oliver said it must be borne in mind that over the last two years there have been a number of ward by-elections which were preceded by registration drives in those wards. This could impact on the number of people who still have to register for the November election.

“The IEC always encourages eligible citizens to register, and while we would obviously want more to register, it remains the responsibility of citizens to make use of the opportunities the IEC offers, whether it is over registration weekends, online or at the local offices.”

Premier Alan Winde and George Mayor Browen Johnson talk to some supporters on Saturday.

Some political parties had made use of the opportunity to be visible at the voting districts by manning their stalls under their party banners. A Garden Route District councillor, Des Carolus of the Plaaslike Besorgde Inwoners (PBI), was present at the Blanco Community Hall. He said the voter percentage in Blanco is very low. "In the previous election, it was 45%. We have to increase it, because it is important that everyone takes part in these processes so that we can rearrange the Council to get as much participation in it as possible."

Lorraine van Schalkwyk of the Patriotic Alliance (PA), and a resident of Blanco, urged young people to register. "Our young people's future depends on it, and their voices are never heard. It is now time for them to get up so that they can have their say."

Western Cape Premier Alan Winde accompanied George Mayor Browen Johnson as he popped in at a few registration venues, and they encouraged the voters to register so that they can be part of the democratic processes.

Nationally, 2.9 million South Africans registered, 477 174 of whom were first-time registrations. The voters' roll grew to 28.5 million registered voters, according to the IEC. In the 16-29 age group, 785 078 registrations were recorded.

Eligible citizens can also register online or update and verify their details at www.registertovote.elections.org.za, at no data cost, or visit the local IEC office.

The second and final voter registration weekend will take place on 1 and 2 August.

PBI members: Yolandi Booysen, Magdalena Brandt, Cllr Des Carolus and Ilse Carolus.