- More than 190,000 trained election workers will help South Africans vote and count ballots during next week’s local government elections.
- The Electoral Commission expects 2.6 million special voters on 2 and 3 November, including elderly people and voters with disabilities.
The Electoral Commission of South Africa is getting ready for a busy election week, with 2.6 million people expected to cast special votes before the main voting day.
The commission officially opened its National Results Operations Centre at the Gallagher Convention Centre in Midrand on Wednesday, 28 October.
The centre will be the heart of the country’s local government elections. This is where officials will receive, check and announce results from across South Africa.
Political party representatives, auditors and election observers will watch the process to make sure everything runs fairly.
Electoral Commission Chief Executive Officer Sy Mamabolo said the centre plays an important role in protecting the country’s democracy.
“This result centre is not mere physical infrastructure. This result centre is something much greater that speaks to our constitutional ethos as an electoral democracy,” Mamabolo said.
He described the centre as a temporary monument to electoral integrity.
The commission has also trained more than 190,000 election workers who will help voters and count ballots across the country.
Chief Electoral Officer Mosotho Moepya urged South Africans to cooperate with these workers.
“There are approximately 190,000 men and women who will be your servants on election day. We have trained them,” Moepya said.
Special voting will take place on Monday, 2 November and Tuesday, 3 November.
The main election day is Wednesday, 4 November, when most South Africans will head to polling stations.
Special votes are for people who cannot vote on the main election day. These include elderly people, people with disabilities and other voters who qualify.
The commission plans to visit more than 600,000 voters at their homes during the two days of special voting.
Mamabolo said 80% of these home visits will be to people older than 60.
He said special voting gives people who might otherwise miss out a chance to have their say in the elections.
South Africa has 29 million registered voters for the local government elections.
The results centre will bring together election officials and observers as votes are counted and checked before the final results are announced.
