GEORGE NEWS - With the Local Municipal Election taking place on Wednesday 3 August here are a few facts you should know.
What documents do voters need?
Official South African ID document which is either:
• smartcard ID or
• temporary Identity Certificate
Voters who were given a separate receipt of registration when they registered (i.e. those with smartcard IDs) should also bring this receipt with them.
All voting stations will be open from 07:00 to 19:00. Voters who are in the queue to and are within the designated IEC perimeter at a voting station at 19:00 will be allowed to vote no matter how long this takes.
In a municipal election you can only vote in the specific Voting District where you are registered.
- WARD ballot paper (grey/white background). Every voter will receive a ward ballot paper. All candidates contesting that ward seat in the council will appear on this ballot. The ballot will show the individual candidates names; in the case of a candidate representing a political party, the candidate's name will be followed by the party logo and abbreviation. In the case of an independent candidate, the name will be followed by a head and shoulders photograph and the letters 'IND'.
- PROPORTIONAL REPRESENTATIVE (PR) ballot paper (yellow background). Every voter will also receive a council PR ballot paper. All political parties registered to contest seats in that council will appear on this ballot. The ballot will show the party name, logo and official abbreviation; no individual's name will appear. From this list councillors will be appointed.
- DISTRICT PR ballot paper (green background). Every voter will also receive an Eden District Council (DC) PR ballot paper. All political parties registered to contest the elections within DC area will appear on this ballot. The ballot will show the party name, logo and official abbreviation; no individual's name will appear.
What happens if you make a mistake on your ballot paper or change your mind before depositing the ballot paper in the ballot box?
The law allows a voter to request a new ballot paper if they have made a mistake or change their mind after making their mark on the ballot paper - but before they place it in the ballot box. Voters should call for the assistance of an election official in such cases.
If a voter's name is not on the voters' roll for the voting district where he or she applied to register to vote, but there is a barcode sticker in the identity document that was provided by the IEC when application was made to register to vote which proves that he or she applied to register for that voting district, they will be allowed to vote.
What does the law say about wearing of party political clothing in a voting station?
The electoral laws prohibit party agents or candidates from wearing any political party affiliated clothing or regalia inside a voting station on Election Day. But the electoral laws do not prohibit ordinary voters from wearing political party clothing or regalia.
Voters may wear whatever clothing they choose.
The 'zip zip' machine that is used to read the bar code in the ID book.
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