IEC offers special vote to voters with special needs

Voters with special needs and disabilities who cannot reach voting stations must apply to be visited for a special vote at home, says the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC). 

The commission says those who will not be in their voting districts on the 29 May, Election Day, may apply for a special vote to cast ballots ahead of the voting day.

SPECIAL VOTES AVAILABLE FOR HOME VISITS – IEC

“Both home visits and voting station based special votes will happen on two days, 27 and 28 May 2024. The applications for special votes will close on 3 May 2024,” said the IEC.

The IEC said the official list of the 23 292 voting stations to be used in these elections will be available for inspection starting 12 April 2024. This list will include the addresses of voting stations and the stopping times of the 33 mobile voting stations.

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SPECIAL VOTES FOR OUT-OF-COUNTRY VOTERS

The commission said those who intend to vote outside of the country and are registered on a specific country’s segment of the voters’ roll do not have to notify the CEO that they will be voting in that country. The law assumes they will be voting at the diplomatic registration mission. 

“Those registered elsewhere, including locally registered voters who intend to vote at a particular diplomatic mission outside the country, must notify the CEO of their intention to vote in that country,” it said.

IEC GOLDEN RULE: VOTE WHERE YOU REGISTERED

The electoral commission said the general principle for elections is that voters must vote where they are registered. However, if a voter intends to be in a different voting district on voting day, they must notify the commission.

A notification portal will soon be launched for this purpose. Notifications in this regard will close on 17 May 2024. The commission has published the 2024 Elections timetable with the cut-off dates leading up to the general elections.