• Hopeful voters can still register to take part in the 2024 elections even after the Voter Registration Weekend.
• The process to register online is simple and only requires an internet connection, a phone number, an ID book and for you to be at least 16 years old.
• Over 1.2 million South Africans have registered to vote online already.

Over the weekend one million South Africans registered to have their say in the country’s democracy come the 2024 elections as part of the Voter Registration Weekend.

People came in person to visit the 23 296 voting stations across South Africa to register with the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) and take advantage of the digital systems the commission uses to make the process smoother.

According to SA News, the IEC also recorded a milestone 100 000 online registrations on its system during the weekend, with 40 000 on Sunday alone.

Voter registration continues beyond the weekend as we head into 2024, with registration open until the proclamation day prior to the elections themselves.

The easiest and quickest way to register to take part in the elections, if you are not registered already, is to do so online via the IEC’s portal.

There are only two requirements to register; that you are a South African citizen and that you are at least 16 years old (you can only vote if you are 18).

How to register to vote online in five easy steps:

• Head to the official voter registration portal, here, with your ready SA ID card/book,
• Select “Register Now” and then “Begin Application Process” which will take you to a page where you can input your ID information,
• Once the information is given to the portal, you will be sent a one time pin (OTP) to your phone number. Enter this OTP and click “confirm,”
• Now, you will have to input your home address – you can choose it from a list or use a search feature. This will tell you what your voting district is and where you can vote come election day,
• Finally, you will have to upload a photo of your ID book open on your personal information page – the page that has your photo.

Make sure your uploaded image looks like the samples below to avoid having to re-register.

Once this process is complete, the IEC will verify your information and then send you an SMS notification once you are officially registered. Only after receiving this confirmation can you legally vote in the upcoming elections.

In total, 1.2 million South Africans have registered to vote via the IEC’s online portal. Young people have been especially attracted to the online portal.

[Image – Photo by Edmond Dantes on Pexels]