At least 70,000 South Africans vote abroad, breaking voting records

As a staggering 70 000 South African voters cast their votes abroad – substantially higher than the 20 000 in 2019 – SA expatriates abroad have shown a commitment and enthusiasm, a positive indicator for democracy, a leading elections expert said yesterday.

Side-stepping comment on the implications on the number of South Africans who voted abroad, Electoral Commission South Africa (IEC) deputy chief electoral officer Shiburi Mashego, said the turn-out would remain “unknown until the votes cast overseas are counted in the country, following the close of voting stations on 29 May”.

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The groundswell of and enthusiasm for voting abroad by South Africans are “always a positive indicator for democracy”, independent elections expert Michael Atkins said.

“The more than 70 000 registered to vote abroad is more than double and we can expect somewhat more votes than the 20 000 we had in 2019.

“We wait for the final figures from the IEC, but in previous elections, half- to two-thirds of voters registered abroad have turned out to vote,” Atkins said.

‘Important vote’

Among those who queued to vote in London was Stanley Jacobs, originally from Eastern Cape.

“It’s a momentous day, it’s a watershed moment in the history of South Africa,” said Jacobs, who is the chair for South Africa’s “Patriotic Alliance” party in the UK and Europe. He hopes the upcoming election will bring about change.

“This is the biggest crowd I’ve ever seen” at the embassy, he said, having voted many times in London since moving to the British capital 23 years ago.

“It’s about change, and it’s about changing the lives of those who have been left behind for the past 30 years,” he said, adding it was time to vote out the ruling ANC.

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Ilse Steyl, who has lived in Southampton, southern England, for 24 years and originally hails from Free State, said: “I’m hoping that the ANC does not get the majority.”

US voters

The US, however, recorded a low turnout. A number of ballots in New York were 653, Washington 440, totalling 226 out of 1 319 of more than 4 000 registered voters.

“The DA won its case in the Electoral Court to extend voting to honorary consulates – additional locations in host countries, where consular services are contracted to local entities – such as Wisconsin and Minnesorta in the US, and Perth in Australia,” said Atkins.

“However, because the IEC appealed the judgment, it was suspended for this election and voting was not possible at honorary consulates,” he added.

“It is difficult to say how many more South Africans might have voted, but Perth, for example, has a large South African expatriate community. South African Facebook groups in Perth have thousands of members.”

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“The matter of honorary consuls is currently before the court. Out of deference to the judicial process we ask not to comment,” said the IEC’s Mashego.

‘Biggest of all’

Department of international relations and co-operation spokesperson Clayson Monyela, who had been posting pictures of SA voters at embassies and High Commission offices around the world, said the London voting station – with 20 000 registered voters – was the biggest of all, including ones in SA.

He added that “it’s difficult to accommodate all of them in one day”, in answer to a question about why the foreign voting stretched over two days, while the local stations will only be open on one day.

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DA leader John Steenhuisen said on X: “The DA would like to thank and commend the tens of thousands of South Africans residing abroad who came out to cast their votes at embassies and consulates around the world this weekend.

“Thank you for honouring our democracy and thank you for voting to Rescue South Africa.”

A number of expats living abroad complained that voters may have been deterred by the lack of polling stations near them.

– brians@citizen.co.za