IEC rolls up sleeves ahead of May 8 elections

The month of March is set to be the busiest period for the Electoral Commission of SA (IEC), which has announced March 13 as the deadline for political parties to submit their candidate lists and payment of deposits to contest the May 8 elections.

During a media briefing in Sandton, north of Johannesburg, yesterday, chief electoral officer Sy Mamabolo said a political party wishing to contest the polls and the nine provincial elections has to pay a total of R605,000.

This figure comprised R200,000 for parliament and R45,000 for each of the provincial legislatures. The deposit was refundable provided a party won at least one seat, but it would be forfeited to the fiscus should the party fail to secure a seat.

Mamabolo wasn’t sure about the exact number of political parties to contest the elections but estimated that the May 8 ballot paper would contain between 34 and 35 parties.

The commission opened the provisional voters’ roll for inspection yesterday and was available at its offices. Mamabolo said that anyone with objections regarding discrepancies or irregularities on the roll has until Friday to lodge a complaint.

The commission itself has until March 14 to investigate and rectify all the complaints if they were authentic and notify those who have objected.

Mamabolo said the voters’ roll would be certified and closed on March 18 for any objection before it was published as the final voters’ roll for the 2019 election.

“Once the voters’ roll is certified or signed, we cannot entertain any changes,” he explained.

Political parties had the March 13 deadline to submit their candidates lists, which would be opened for inspection on March 29 after they had submitted their revised lists. March 19 is the cutoff date for notification of political parties whose lists did not comply to rectify them by March 25.

Yesterday, the addresses for all the 22 924 voting stations and 32 mobile voting stations were published on www.elections.org.za and the lists are also available at national and provincial offices.

Those unable to go to voting stations would be required to make applications at municipal offices between April 4 and 18 to cast special votes. The date for special votes was May 6 and 7.

Voters in foreign nations would cast their votes on April 27 at their country’s foreign missions but those wishing to vote outside the republic must notify the IEC chief executive by March 13.

INFO

All the cut-off dates

• April 1: lists of candidates opened for inspection.
• April 2: cut-off for objections to candidates.
• April 8: cut-off for IEC decision on objections and notification to objectors and parties.
• April 4-8: application for special votes to the municipal electoral officers.
• April 23: cut-off for compilation of lists of parties and final list of candidates.
• April 25: issuing of certificates to candidates.
• April 27: application and casting of special votes at foreign missions.

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