The Electoral Commission (IEC) chairperson, Glen Mashinini, says even under the difficult circumstances brought on by the Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19), the IEC is ready to deliver the 2021 Local Government Elections.
The Local Government Elections will take place on 1 November.
Speaking at the signing ceremony of the Electoral Code of Conduct by political parties contesting the elections, Mashinini said the IEC is surging ahead with preparations.
“As our nation battles with the devastation caused by COVID-19 to our economy and our lives, the Electoral Commission remains hard at work to ensure that these elections are delivered safely in fulfilment of our Constitutional mandate."
He said the introduction of Voter Management Devices (VMD) is nothing short of revolution.
“The VMDs have increased the speed of processing of applications. Approved applications already have their addresses captured. Previously, it would have taken months to capture address details of voters.
“This is a major step in the management of our electoral processes.”
According to the Electoral Commission, 325 political parties will be taking part in the forthcoming local government elections.
Mashinini said the signing ceremony was as important as democracy itself.
“The responsibilities of the political parties, agents and candidates also go beyond abiding by the code. Political parties must also let the public know about the code, promote the purpose of the code and support efforts to educate voters,” he said.
Voters’ roll
The Chief Electoral Officer certified the voters’ roll on 26 September.
The voters’ roll contains the names of 26.2 million voters, 55% of which were women.
Gauteng has the biggest representation on the voters’ roll, with 6.1 million voters, followed by KwaZulu-Natal with 5.4 million.
The biggest age cohort on the voters’ roll is 30 - 39 years, at 6.7 million.
The IEC certified and published lists of candidates contesting these elections recently.
“It is in the hands of all participants in the important elections to ensure that the elections are held in exciting but peaceful conditions. It is the hands of political parties to uphold and defend the Code of Conduct," said Mashinini.” – SAnews.gov.za
Email
Facebook
Twitter
WhatsApp