South Africa Elections: Electoral Commission Guides On Applying For Special Vote

In the wake of upcoming general elections in South Africa, the Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) revealed the process for applying for special votes.

A special vote lets a registered voter, who can't visit the polling booth on election day, apply for voting two days earlier. To be eligible for a special vote, you must be unable to visit your local voting station on Election Day for reasons including being pregnant, infirm, or being differently-abled.

People who are unable to visit the polling station for other reasons including work are also eligible for this special vote. These special votes can be cast at home or the voting station. In case, the person wants to cast a vote from home, then the IEC officials will be visiting the special voter's residence to collect the vote.

The elections will be held on May 29 and the IEC officials will visit special voters on May 27 and 28. However, these special voters should apply before May 3 by visiting the official website of IEC.

The application process requires a person to be a registered voter and have a valid South African identity document (green, barcoded ID book, smartcard ID or a valid Temporary Identity Certificate), as per SA News.

South Africans can also find out whether they are registered or not by sending an SMS from their number to 32810 or calling the IEC's contact center at 012-622-5700.

To apply for a special vote online, one should use the IEC's secured online application form or they can also SMS their identity number to 32249, which will be charged R1.00 per SMS.

In case, someone doesn't want to apply online, then they can also visit the local IEC office (not the national or provincial offices) and submit a MEC 35 form. These forms can be only hand-delivered as no emails or faxes are accepted. However, someone else can hand over the application on the special voter's behalf.

Before going to the local IEC office for registration, make an appointment by calling or sending a relative or spouse. The operating hours of the local IEC office are from Monday to Friday between 9:00 am and 5:00 pm.