Home affairs to extend operational hours before elections

In support of the general elections, the department of home affairs will extend operational hours at front offices in a drive to assist eligible voters to collect identity documents they had applied for, or to apply for IDs or temporary identity certificates, reports Kempton Express.

On May 6 and 7, offices will extend their operational hours from 4pm to 7pm to cater for people seeking access to services on these two special voting days.

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This will provide further opportunities for citizens to collect their uncollected documents, from 8am to 7pm.

On election day, May 8, front offices will be open from 7am until 9pm, when IEC voting stations close.

Citizens in possession of an enabling document like a smart ID card, green ID book, or temporary identity certificate are afforded an opportunity to cast their vote. Without any of these forms of identification, supplied exclusively by home affairs, one cannot vote in South Africa’s democratic elections.

By end of March, the department had recorded 355,257 uncollected smart ID cards and 3,620 green ID books. Gauteng has the highest number of uncollected smart ID cards, at 101,787.

The department appeals to citizens to collect their smart ID cards or green ID books, or to apply for temporary identity certificates so they may exercise their democratic right to vote.

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