The counting process: How it works

“This is the earliest we have ever managed to close voting stations on Election Day”, said IEC Western Cape’s Provincial Electoral Officer, Courtney Sampson, signalling that election officials did not have to accommodate long queues for hours after the official closing time at 9pm. Sampson was addressing the media at ...

Elections: What voters had to say

khayelitsha

People’s Assembly decided the best way to spend Elections Day was to speak to the people themselves and find out what their experiences at the polls were and what it meant for them to vote. We visited a number of voting stations in the greater Cape Town area.

At the ...

Observing the Elections: A local observer’s point of view

Members of the Electoral Code of Conduct Commission (ECCOC), which is chaired by the Anglican Arch Bishop of Cape Town observed the elections on May 7 to ensure procedures were being followed and elections proceeded smoothly.

Members were divided into teams to observe polling stations in the Drakenstein area, including ...

Handy IEC Mobile Apps for the tech-savvy first-time voter

With Election Day around the corner, it’s important to start getting “election-ready”. Questions like whether you have your bar-coded South African ID booklet ready, if you are registered and if you know which voting station to go to should be at the forefront of your mind right now. People’s Assembly ...

A silent march against government secrecy

R2K

With the lead up to elections, representatives of the Right2Know (R2K) social movement campaign marched through the streets of Cape Town on Friday, May 2, in silent protest for freedom and the public’s right to know about various political issues such as political party funding, and the secrecy and corruption ...

Tips that will make voting a breeze

Just two more days and Election Day will be upon us! For some, it's an exciting time but for others fulfilling their democratic right to vote, it can be a frustrating day. Potential voters are often put off by the thought of waiting in long queues or wondering around looking ...

Vote Home campaign reports back on voting abroad

People’s Assembly caught up with Francine Higham of the Vote Home campaign to get a sense of how yesterday’s voting abroad went. Numbers are what count the most but final figures have yet to be tallied. Unofficially the figure was 8 500 in London alone, with an estimate of over ...

Voters abroad share their woes and joys

According to the Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC), there are 26 701 South Africans eligible to vote abroad, with the highest number being registered in London (9 863) followed by 1 539 in Dubai and 1 243 in Canberra. The total number of votes abroad is estimated to account ...

Electronic voting: A platform for electoral change?

From smart phones to advanced military technology, the computer era is well and truly upon us, yet when it comes to voting, the clock seems to turn back time. Brazil, India and France (to name a few) have been successful applicants in the quest for electronic voting. However, South Africa ...

Elections: What security plans are in place?

With only a week to go until Election Day (7 May), the Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) has been very busy rolling out security plans so that voting runs smoothly on the day. The People’s Assembly spoke to Courtney Sampson, Western Cape Electoral Officer, about some of the IEC’s ...