Online registrations planned for municipal elections amid third wave

July 17 and 18 have been set aside for the only scheduled voter registration weekend ahead of the 2021 municipal elections, and with the country in the grip of a devastating third wave of Covid-19 infections, the Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) is hoping that a new online registration system for first-time voters will be in place by then.

This would be welcome news for people scared to venture out as a result of the new Delta variant that has started to spread rapidly in South Africa.

The variant was first identified in India and is said to be the most transmissible form of the SARS-CoV-2 virus.

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Granville Abrahams, the senior manager: electoral matters at the IEC, said the online system will enable first-time voters to register from within the comfort of their homes.

He said registered voters can already make changes to their profiles online.

According to Abrahams, South Africa is a constitutional democracy and is required to hold regular free and fair elections within set timeframes.

“The Constitution says the term of municipal councils can only be five years and there’s no provision for an extension. While the enquiry to determine if it is possible to hold free and fair elections under the lockdown restrictions is ongoing, the IEC has said it is ready to proceed.”

Headed by former Deputy Chief Justice Dikgang Moseneke, the enquiry should finalise its report by the end of July, said Abrahams.

“It won’t be just a simple matter of whether we should or should not have elections, but rather a process to look at ways to mitigate any risks, like having the elections on more than one day.”

He added the IEC noted and acknowledged that there are challenges in the prevailing Covid-19 environment and explained that the commission is also seeking advice from medical and other experts in terms of patterns and predictions.

“But in reality, we have only two options if something is to be changed. The one is to change the Constitution, which we don’t have time for, and the other is to go to the Constitutional Court for an answer.”

He said the IEC cannot simply decide to postpone the elections because of the pandemic.

“Constitutionally, we are required to deliver, and that is what we are preparing for,” he said.“The alternative involves a big investment and currently we have competing interests as far as the taxpayers’ money is concerned, and we all know that is not a bottomless pit; it has run dry.

“The IEC had been exploring the possible implementation of electronic voting as a pilot project this year, but due to budget cuts, those plans are now on ice.”
Safe voting environment

Strict measures will be taken to ensure voters adhere to Covid-19 regulations on registration and voting days. Social distancing will be enforced and the wearing of masks will be monitored.

Abrahams said there will be little contact between IEC officials and voters.

“We have a new device and the only interaction necessary with voters is when we take a photo of the voter’s identity document. The rest of the interaction is a conversation to determine address details.

“The election officials will also be wearing protective clothing, which includes masks and shields. Hand sanitiser will be available upon entry and exit.

“There will be over 22 000 stations across the country, open between 08:00 and 17:00, which will ensure smaller concentrations of people at registration stations.”

To register, you need your identity card or book. Temporary IDs, available at Home Affairs, will also be accepted.

Voters can register anywhere in the country, but can only vote in the ward where they are registered.

“Because of new technology, which includes mapping services, you can register your Pretoria address in Cape Town, for example,” said Abrahams.

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