The order of the Constitutional Court directs the Electoral Commission to provide a voters’ roll with addresses to political parties contesting elections where such addresses are available. This order affirms a standing statutory provision in section 16 (3) of the Electoral Act (27 of 1998) which provides as follows:
“…………………., the chief electoral officer must, on payment of the prescribed fee, provide copies of the voters’ roll or a segment thereof, which includes the addresses of voters, where such addresses are available, to all registered parties contesting the elections.”
Therefore the judicial and statutory dependency to the provision of a voters’ roll with addresses to contesting parties is where such addresses are available.
The Electoral Commission has nonetheless, taken a decision to proactively procure addresses of voters where such are not on their records. In this regard, a number of initiatives are either underway or about to be implemented. I presented below some of these initiatives: