Elections 2021: Special voting closes as police launches probe into rigging

Voting stations for special votes closed at 5pm on Sunday, with the rest of the country set to cast their votes on Monday.

Special votes

Day one

Day one of special votes day on Saturday saw some voting stations experienced service delivery protests and technical issues countrywide that resulted in delays to open and in some areas stations were unable to start.

An Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) presiding officer in Mpumalanga was dismissed after he was found to be under the influence of alcohol, Jacaranda FM reported.

The IEC also laid charges with the South African Police Service (Saps) after a voter tore a ballot paper.

Eight voting stations in KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) could not open on Saturday due to a dispute over traditional leadership.

It has been reported that a group of KwaNyavu community members are demanding the reinstatement of Chief Sikhosiphi Mdluli.

Day two

Day two, meanwhile, also saw several incidents reported.

According to media reports, that the Saps has launched an investigation into allegations of vote rigging.

This is after an IEC official, a presiding officer at a voting station in Ward 93 in Umbumbulu, KwaZulu-Natal, was allegedly caught stuffing marked ballot papers into a ballot box.

A case was also opened by a presiding officer at a voting station in Lebowakgomo, Limpopo after party agents allegedly incited violence.

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“In Limpopo, charges have been laid with the police after political party members stormed a secure storage for special voting ballots papers, causing damage to one ballot box and the facility,” the IEC said in a statement on Sunday.

During a media briefing on Sunday, IEC chief electoral officer Sy Mamabolo said the commission has not received reports of the rigging incident.

“If indeed it is so, we would want that person arrested and prosecuted because it amounts to treason to subvert the will of the voter,” Mamabolo said.

The voting stations for #LGE2021 Special Votes are now closed. pic.twitter.com/c1VY9JgL15

— IEC South Africa (@IECSouthAfrica) October 31, 2021

While special votes has closed, the IEC has indicated that citizens who could not cast their votes may still do so at their voting stations on Monday.

“A voter whose application for a special vote was approved but who for whatever reason was unable to cast a special vote may still cast their ballot at their voting station on election day.

READ MORE: EXPLAINER: Here’s a rundown of the elections timetable ahead of voting day

“All special votes collected are stored securely overnight on 30 and 31 October and are then opened, reconciled and added to the ordinary ballots cast on 1 November 2021 before counting begins.”

IEC had approved a record 1,110,257 applications, which closed on October 4, for special votes in the 2021 municipal elections.

This is a 62% increase in the number of special votes compared to 2016 local government election.

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Additional reporting by Eric Naki