Tuesday is the last day of registration for the upcoming 2019 National and Provincial elections, the Electoral Commission (IEC) has announced.
Potential voters and those seeking to change their residential information have up to 17h00 on Tuesday to do so. After the closing of the registration process, the IEC will then finalise the voters roll and get the ball rolling for the 2019 elections.
IEC Deputy Chief Electoral Officer, Masego Shiburi says they will be starting with the serious business before the national polls on 8th May. “On the day of proclamation the election period starts and the Electoral Code of Conduct is then applicable. And it is binding on all political parties.”
After the proclamation, Shiburi says they will open the system to allow political parties to submit the names of their candidates and to pay their deposits. And they will also start receiving applications from South Africans based in foreign countries, where they can apply for special votes.
The election date was initially pronounced by President Cyril Ramaphosa during his State Of The Nation Address on the 7th of February, but only the proclamation on the government gazette sets off the official mandate to close the registration process.
It is now expected that the voters’ roll will be finalised.
“So today at the end of the day, that will mean it’s the end and that is when we fill the voters’ roll. So on the day of the proclamation is issued, the voters roll closes at five o’clock on that day.”
For more, listen to IEC Deputy CEO, Masego Shiburi below:
Read the full statement from the IEC below:
