South Africans living abroad are headed to the polling booths to cast their votes for the 2024 general elections. File Picture: Ayanda Ndamane / Independent Newspapers
Today thousands of South Africans living abroad are headed to the polling booths to cast their votes for the 2024 general elections.
South Africans voting abroad will cast their votes at the following missions: Algiers, Amman, Cairo, Damascus, Jeddah, Kuwait City, Ramallah, Riyadh and Tehran today, 17 May, between 7am and 7pm.
The largest international voting stations by eligible voting population are in London (24,535 eligible voters); The Hague, Netherlands (6,659); Canberra, Australia (3,674); Dubai, United Arab Emirates (3,266); and Dublin, Ireland (3,040). In addition, Wellington, New Zealand (2,292); Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates (1,825); Washington and New York, United States (1,799), and Berlin, Germany (1,478).
What's more, the remaining 102 missions will be open for special votes on Saturday, 18 May, between 7am and 7pm.
The IEC has set aside two days for special voting regarding the South African mission in the UK. Voting registration for South Africans living in the UK is open on Saturday, May 18, and Sunday, May 19, from 7am to 7pm.
South Africans who are voting at international voting stations will only get one ballot paper. This is the national compensatory ballot, on which 52 political parties vying for seats in the National Assembly will appear.
As per the IEC, voters are required to physically show up at the mission where they have registered or where they have applied for a special vote by VEC 10 notice on special voting days. They should also do the following:
Present their identity document (ID) book, smartcard or temporary ID certificate to the election official.
The voter’s left thumbnail will be marked with indelible ink to indicate they have voted.
The voter’s name will be marked off on the list of voters approved to vote at the mission to indicate their participation in the election.
The voter will be issued with the national compensatory ballot paper.
The voter will mark the ballot in secret, and place and seal the ballot in an unmarked envelope.
The unmarked envelope will be placed in another envelope that is marked with the voter’s name, ID number and the name of the mission where the vote was cast. The use of two envelopes is to ensure the secrecy of the ballot by delinking the voter and the ballot cast. Election officials then take the envelope and place it in a secure ballot box for special votes.
The IEC will extend its operating hours on all voting days abroad to assist voters with queries.
IEC Elections