Why you’ll fill in THREE ballot papers in 2024 general election
All the information you need to know about your THREE ballot papers in the 2024 SA general election – and why they differ region to region.
Here’s important information for voters regarding the three ballot papers in the 2024 general election.
Taking place on Wednesday 29 May 2024, these general elections promise to be the closest in South Africa’s democracy.
Now, the Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) has clarified the three ballot papers that voters will be faced with on the day.
THREE BALLOT PAPERS IN THE 2024 ELECTION
South Africans will have to fill in three ballot papers in 2024, instead of the usual two they’re used to.
BusinessTech explains that you will now receive three different coloured ballots.
These represent the following:
- National ballot for the National Assembly
- Regional ballot for the National Assembly
- Provincial ballot for the Provincial Legislature
The reason for this additional ballot is explained by Mawethu Mosery, the IEC’s deputy chief electoral officer.
400 seats in the National Assembly are divided into two parts. The first 200 seats are for national representation by political parties. The first ballot will only be contested by political parties on a closed-list basisMawethu Mosery, IEC deputy chief electoral officer
Thereafter, the second 200 seats represent regions, or the nine provinces. These each have a predetermined number of seats. Accordingly, the ballot will vary from region to region, depending on which parties and candidates contest that region.
REGIONAL INDEPENDENTS
The IEC elaborated that the additional ballot effectively kills two birds with one stone.
It accommodates regional representation, as well as independent candidates contesting the National Assembly.
Only when they meet a pre-determined quota will they go on to contest the election and go on to parliament (assuming they receive sufficient votes).
Here’s how many regional seats per province (region):
- Gauteng – 48
- KwaZulu-Natal – 41
- Eastern Cape – 25
- Western Cape – 23
- Limpopo – 19
- Mpumalanga – 15
- North West – 13
- Free State – 11
- Northern Cape – 5
Besides three ballot papers in the 2024 election, the IEC is working hard for a free and fair election on 29 May.
Click HERE to see a full 2024 election timetable.
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Moreover, click HERE for details about the billionaires betting big on the Democratic Alliance to oust the African National Congress from government.