Pre-election frustration with new boundaries

GEORGE NEWS - Over 500 voters who live in Loerie Park between Fourth and Fifth Avenue and previously formed part of Ward 5, now fall under Ward 18.

Some of these potential voters did not re-register, because they still live in exactly the same place since the last election.

However, they are still registered to vote at Van Kervel School in Ward 5, and not at the Moth Hall in Ward 18, where they should have been registered after the new demarcations were completed.

The impact of this unresolved situation will affect candidates who compete in Ward 18 and have spent a good deal of time canvassing between the avenues in the hope to secure more votes.

Receiving attention

Asked how they will manage the situation, the IEC's provincial official Michael Hendrickse said the matter is receiving attention. "We are aware of the matter and are dealing with it. It is not the entire voting district, it is a portion of a ward. We did a whole lot of things to get people to register in the correct area."

Hendrickse said a concerted and concentrated targeted communications and registration campaign was conducted in June, with pamphlet drops in the affected new demarcated area.

"This was followed up at a later stage with a loudhailer drive through the affected area. Voters responded by re-registering. Not all voters responded by close of registration to the voter's roll by Monday 20 September - the day the voters roll closed for registration.

"Subsequent to that, the voter's roll was opened for inspection and objections could be lodged against omissions etc. This was opened for response by political parties and the public. No political party or affected voter objected during this period. The voter's roll was then certified and published by making it available on Sunday 26 September."

Three votes

Freedom Front Plus candidate for Ward 18, Gert van Niekerk, is concerned that voters who fall into this group will not be able to cast three votes (one for the party, one for the candidate and one for the Garden Route District Municipality) but only two, because their boundaries have been moved.

Van Niekerk said he drew the IEC's attention to the fact that the residents are not aware of these changes, and that when they tried to re-register electronically, were still placed by the system at Van Kervel.

"During registration weekend, people arrived at Van Kervel and they were told they were voting there. They were not told that they were to vote at the Moth Hall in Ward 18. The IEC system has not been updated," said Van Niekerk.

The IEC provincial officicer, Michael Hendrickse