Last chance to register

To vote in April’s elections you must be registered as a voter in order for your name to be entered into the voter’s role which lists all those eligible to vote of election day.

You only have to register once, unless you move or your voting district changes.

Voting stations will be open from 8am to 5pm on February 8 and 9 and those wanting to vote should register at their closest voting station.

To find your correct voting station, use the IEC’s online voting station map or call 0800 11 8000 (open Monday to Friday from 8am to 5pm).

To vote you must:

• be a South African citizen;
• be at least 18 years old ; and
• have a green, bar-coded ID book, ID smartcard or Temporary Identity Certificate (TIC).

While you may make use of the February voter registration weekend to get your name on the role, you can also make an appointment to apply at any Municipal Electoral Office.

You must apply for registration before Zuma proclaims the election date (as published in the Government Gazette) as the voters’ roll for a specific election closes at 5pm on the day of proclamation.

You must apply to register in person – no registrations can be done online or telephonically. You will need to complete an “Application for Registration as a Voter” form

and present your barcoded ID book for scanning.

A bar-coded sticker is pasted in your ID book and this must be presented at the polling station on election day.

How do I know if or where I’m registered?

To check your registration status, you can:

• send an SMS with your ID number to 32810 at a cost of R1 per SMS;
• check your voter registration details online at www.elections.org.za;
• call the IEC call centre on 0800 11 8000 (toll-free from a landline);
• check at your voting station during a registration weekend; or
• check at your local Municipal Electoral Office during office hours.