South Africans living in the United Kingdom (UK) have shown the most interest in taking part in the forthcoming national elections.
The Electoral Commission’s Chief Electoral Officer, Sy Mamabolo hopes the new system will attract many South Africans abroad and cause them to heed the call to register to vote.
The UK leads the pack with the highest number of online voter registrations.
The IEC says over 18 000 people, across more than 100 countries globally have registered online using the newly launched portal system.
“The Electoral Commission has enabled an online registration facility for the first time to allow South Africans outside the country to easily register for the forthcoming 2024 national elections. For the first time ahead of the elections.”
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South Africans abroad
Meanwhile, the IEC says three South African missions are closed. The Commission has reported that registration for citizens living in Israel, Sudan and Ukraine will not take place. However, the Commission has urged citizens in these countries to register online in order to participate in the upcoming polls.
A campaign to register South Africans abroad will be launched this weekend. Mamabolo says people can register online or in person in the countries they reside in.
“The Department of International Relations and Co-operation informed us that three missions, Israel, Sudan and Ukraine have been temporarily closed due to security concerns. We will take the best possible steps to ensure that everyone participates in this democratic process. We encourage citizens in these countries to register through our online portal.”
