MEDIA STATEMENT – FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
KNOW YOUR RIGHTS!
18 March, 2024
As a rule, South Africans voting on Election Day must vote at the voting station of the voting district in which they are registered. (- if you want to know your voting station, send your ID number on sms to 32810 ( R1/SMS) or send “Hi” on WhatsApp at 060 088 0000).
But there is one exception – if, for whatever reason, you cannot vote at your voting station but can do so at a different voting station on Election Day, you can notify the IEC beforehand. For such notifications (also called Section 24A Notification because of the section in the Electoral Act), it is now mandatory to submit them in advance if the voter wants to vote at a different voting station on 29 May 2024 (Election Day).
In previous elections, voters were able to arrive on Election Day at a different voting station and apply there. This will no longer be allowed, and voters will now be turned away if they have not notified the IEC before Election Day.
The submission of section 24A, Notifications of intention to vote at a voting station where not registered, opened on 15 March and closes at 5 pm on 17 May 2024.
“This notification system will go a long way towards ensuring a seamless voting process on 29 May and mitigate the logistical challenges of not knowing how many voters will arrive at a voting station. We ask voters to abide by this Electoral Act change so they are not disappointed on Election Day. So, whether you’re working or have plans to be outside the district where you are registered, use this process to vote on 29 May at a different voting station by notifying the IEC timeously,” said Provincial Electoral Officer Michael Hendrickse.
Important to note:
- If you intend to cast a vote at a voting station where you are not registered and that different voting station is still within the province – you will receive all three ballots (National, Regional, and Provincial)
- If you intend to vote at a voting station outside the province where you are registered, you may only receive the National ballot.
- You must ensure that the Notification is correctly and completely filled in, as failure to do so will render your Notification invalid. Thus, in the Notification, you must indicate the name and address of the voting station where you want to vote – you cannot simply refer to a suburb or town. The list of addresses of voting stations and voting district numbers can be accessed at: https://maps.elections.org.za/vsfinder/
- The Presiding Officer of that different voting station where you intend to vote will have a list of all the voters who have successfully notified the IEC that they are voting there.
You can notify the IEC by:
- going to elections.org.za and using the online Section 24A Notifications portal;
- visiting your local IEC office in person on weekdays during business hours, and completing and submitting the Notification form.
Please also remember that for queries, all our IEC offices are open Monday to Friday, from 8 am to 5 pm. You can also reach our call center at 0800 11 8000 during office hours.
Lastly, just a reminder that if you are voting at the voting station where you are registered, you need not notify the IEC, as your name will be on the certified Voters Roll for your voting station.
Issued by Michael Hendrickse
Western Cape Provincial Electoral Officer
Electoral Commission SA
For media inquiries: mediawc@elections.org.za
Office: 021 910 5700
Last modified: March 19, 2024
