Final hours to register: IEC makes last-minute appeal to eligible voters

The Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) has urged eligible South Africans to make use of the final hours of station-based voter registration before voting stations close at 5pm on Sunday, ahead of the Local Government Elections on November 4.

All 23,699 voting stations across the country remain open until 5pm, giving prospective voters a last opportunity to register or update their registration details to ensure they are assigned to the correct voting district.

Chief Electoral Officer Sy Mamabolo said the response to the final voter registration weekend had been encouraging but stressed that time was running out for those who had not yet registered.

“We are delighted that South Africans have responded positively to this final voter registration weekend, but there is still a crucial window of opportunity for those who have not yet registered or who need to update their registration details.”

Mamabolo urged eligible citizens not to delay.

“We urge every eligible citizen to ensure that they are correctly registered and assigned to the right voting district,” said Mamabolo.

The IEC said that while online voter registration remains available, it has identified challenges affecting its data-free registration service. The Commission’s technical team is working with its partners to resolve the issue as quickly as possible.

Despite the technical difficulties, the Commission encouraged voters to continue registering online where possible or visit their nearest voting station before the deadline.

“The Electoral Commission urges eligible South Africans to use the remaining hours of this final day of station-based voter registration to update their details ahead of the Local Government Elections on November 4.”

The Electoral Commission is expected to announce the outcome of the nationwide voter registration drive during a media briefing on Monday.

IOL