Elections: IEC says elderly voters are more than teenage voters at the polls

More elderly South Africans aged 70 and above still turn out to vote, than the 18 to 19 age group, according to the Independent Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC),

The commission says 27,753,059 South Africans have registered to vote, with a gender distribution of 44.76% men and 55.24% women. Last week, President Cyril Ramaphosa announced that the 2024 general elections will be held on 29 May 2024.

THIRD BALLOT AND INDEPENDENT CANDIDATES – NEW FEATURES

“This is a landmark election marking 30 years of electoral democracy, but it also introduces novel experiences for the voters, such as a third ballot in National and Provincial Elections as well as the participation of independent candidates for the first time,” said the IEC.

The 2024 elections will feature 1,792 registered political parties vying for the vote of the 27 million South Africans. Gauteng is the country’s most significant voting province, with 6.5 million registered voters, closely followed by KwaZulu-Natal with 5.7 million.

PROVINCES BY VOTER NUMBERS – IEC

The Eastern Cape follows with 3.4 million voters, Western Cape with 3.3 million, Limpopo with 2.7 million, Mpumalanga with 2 million, North West with 1.7 million, Free State with 1.4 million, and Northern Cape with 657,000.

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 IEC says the law assumes that they will be voting at the diplomatic registration mission.

SPECIAL VOTING AT DIPLOMATIC MISSIONS: DATES TO BE COMMUNICATED

“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.

Special voting at the diplomatic missions will happen either Friday, 17 May 2024 or Saturday, 18 May 2024. The exact date for each diplomatic mission will be determined considering the host country’s dominant religious and cultural practices.

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