Elections 2024: Which province has the most eligible voters?
The 2024 elections are expected to set a record for the most votes since the dawn of democracy. Which province has the most voters?
The 2024 South African general elections are likely to set a record for the most votes ever cast on Wednesday, 29 May.
According to the official IEC website, 27 723 820 voters in South Africa are eligible to mark their ‘X’ in the national and provincial elections in under 11 weeks’ time.
This represents the highest total since the dawn of democracy in the country.
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It’s important to note that only those who are on the voters roll certified by the IEC (as of 12 March) will be able to vote on 29 May.
“It is impossible to vote in that election if you have not applied for registration before [the close of the voters roll],” confirmed the IEC.
In 2024, the provincial breakdown of the registered voters indicates that Gauteng (23.6%) remains as the biggest voting block, followed by KwaZulu-Natal (20.7%) and the Eastern Cape (12.41%).
| Rank | Province | Voters | % |
| 1 | Gauteng | 6 542 033 | 23.6% |
| 2 | KwaZulu-Natal | 5 738 272 | 20.7% |
| 3 | Eastern Cape | 3 439 325 | 12.41% |
| 4 | Western Cape | 3 317 102 | 11.96% |
| 5 | Limpopo | 2 779 668 | 10.03% |
| 6 | Mpumalanga | 2 025 074 | 7.3% |
| 7 | North West | 1 768 580 | 6.38% |
| 8 | Free State | 1 456 935 | 5.26% |
| 9 | Northern Cape | 656 831 | 2.37% |
| TOTAL | 27 723 820 | 100% |
There has been a marked increase in the rate of representation by persons in the age group 18-39 years.
This age band accounts for 42% – or 11.7 million – voters on the voters’ roll.
Interestingly, the trend of there being more females on the voters’ roll continues.
Of the 27.79 million voters, 15 million are females. This represents over 55%.
Since the voters’ roll was compiled for the first time ahead of the 1999 national and provincial elections, it (the voters’ roll) has shown steady growth of over 35% and contains the highest number of registered voters, recording an increase of 9.6 million voters since the 1999 general elections.
The table below illustrates the rate of growth on the voters’ roll for successive elections:
| Elections | Voters |
| 1999 | 18.17 million |
| 2004 | 20.67 million |
| 2009 | 23.18 million |
| 2014 | 25.39 million |
| 2019 | 26.76 million |
| 2024 | 27.79 million |
DO YOU KNOW WHO YOU’LL BE VOTING FOR IN THE 2024 GENERAL ELECTIONS?
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