Elections 2024: Special vote applications close tomorrow

As the clock ticks down to the 2024 National and Provincial Elections on May 29, the Electoral Commission of South Africa, known as the IEC, reminds voters that applications for special votes close tomorrow.

Who can apply for a special vote?

All applications for special votes, for the purposes of home visits and voting station visits, opened on April 15.

Home visits are intended for those voters who are unable to travel to voting stations, while special votes at voting stations are for everyone who is unable to be at the voting station on Election Day.

Special voting will be conducted on the two days preceding Election Day, on May 27 and 28, from 09:00 to 17:00.

Contrary to circulating WhatsApp messages regarding automatic availability of special votes for voters 60 years and older, the IEC says there is no age-based access to a special vote at a voting station.

All special votes are only available on application through one of the following mechanisms:

• Using the IEC’s secured online application form at www.elections.org.za
• SMSing your identity number to 32249 (R1.00 per SMS) – for voting station visit only
• Visiting your local IEC office and submitting an Appendix 1B form – for a voting station special vote
• Visiting your local IEC office and submitting an Appendix 1A form – for a home visit special vote. Forms can also be hand-delivered, and someone else can deliver a form on your behalf.

Voting outside of a voting station of registration

The IEC has re-emphasised that voters must vote where they are registered.

However, in the event that a voter intends to be in a different voting district on voting day, the voter must notify the IEC of their intended absence from their voting district and the voting station where they wish to cast their vote.

A notification portal is available on the IEC’s website for this purpose. These notifications close on May 17.