Local elections: Low voter turnout is a serious worry

Voting day in South Africa is a microcosm of our diverse, vocal and sometimes sloppy country. And yesterday’s local election was no different, proving that – if nothing else – democracy is not quite dead in South Africa.

In sometimes long queues, some people took it in their stride, chatting amiably with others (sometimes observing social distancing protocols, sometimes not), while others moaned about delays and lack of organisation.

Local elections 2021:

Not perfect but fine in the end

In typical SA fashion, there was quite a bit to complain about: some polling stations ran out of ballot papers and ink and there were many instances of errors in the voters’ roll, with people either missing entirely or told they had to vote somewhere else.

True also to local form, overzealous cops arrested an accredited TV journalist at a polling station in Soweto, accusing him of “distracting the presiding officer”. So far, so expected. That’s all part of the way we roll here on the southern tip of Africa.

It’s never perfect but, somehow, it all comes out in the wash and works in the end. However, what was worrying about yesterday’s poll was that, despite it being regarded as one of the most crucial since 1994, the turnout was lower than expected.

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Dissatisfaction expressed

And this despite the best efforts of the government, the Electoral Commission of South Africa and political parties to encourage people to cast their ballots.

With the obvious disarray in which the country finds itself – and the growing groundswell of voices calling for change after the ANC’s repeated mismanagement at national and local government level – it was hoped people would use their votes to express their dissatisfaction.

The fact that many chose not to is, possibly, an indication that they believe their vote carries little weight and that, after previous polls, nothing changed.

If that is the case, democracy is in grave danger.