• The Electoral Commission says that it has registered 220 000 new eligible voters thanks to an ongoing national campaign.
• Called the “Your Vote Is Your Voice” campaign, the two week initiative seeks to encourage young voters to register for the upcoming general elections in 2024.
• With rampant loadshedding, a faltering economy and increased political instability facing South Africa’s future, the 2024 general elections are expected to be historic.

The political environment in South Africa is a controversial one, to say the least.

With rampant loadshedding, seemingly endless corruption allegations, a faltering economy, skyrocketing crime rates and many other things that keep us awake at night, the 2024 general elections will be among the most important in the country’s history.

And it seems South Africans are showing up for it, as the latest national campaign urging people to register online to vote has amassed 220 000 new eligible voters since Monday.

Called “Your Vote Is Your Voice,” the two-week campaign is still running on digital and traditional media, at least until 3rd March 2023. The Electoral Commission says that with this campaign, it wants to encourage unregistered younger people to vote in the upcoming elections.

“This crucial campaign is designed to educate eligible South African citizens about the importance of voter registration so that they can vote, and the ease with which they can do so online,” said Sy Mamabolo, chief electoral officer of the Electoral Commission.

“The commission has taken sufficient steps to ensure that the registration process is quick and hassle-free.”

Mamabolo explains that one of the commission’s objectives for the upcoming election is to get the 14 million South Africans who are eligible to vote but not registered, especially those between the ages of 15 and 29, to register and to vote.

“We urge all eligible citizens to take advantage of this online facility and take the first step towards electing public representatives of their choice. Your vote is your voice,” Mamabolo added.

South Africans aged 16 years and older, who have a South African ID, or even a temporary ID, can register to vote online at the Electoral Commission’s website, found here.

Importantly, you need to be 18 years and older to vote, but you can register from 16.

Eligible voters can register online in just a few steps:

• “Go to the commission’s website,
• Click “Register to Vote Now” and accept the terms of use,
• Enter your personal details,
• Enter the One-Time Pin sent to your cell phone,
• Search for your address or, if you are at home, use the current location on your device,
• Take a photo of your ID OR submit a scan of your ID,
• You will receive an SMS within 24 hours confirming your successful registration.”

If you are already registered but have moved address since the last elections, you can also check and update your address in the same portal.

Stage 6 loadshedding currently has us at wit’s end, so best believe you’ll see us in the queue come 2024.

[Image – Element5 Digital on Unsplash] [Source – SA News]