Election 101… IEC answers basic questions about voting day

Hendrickse answers some frequently asked voting questions, from what to take with you to the voting station, to what happens if you make a mistake on a ballot:

Voting day is 29 May while special voting takes place on 27 and 28 May
Special vote applications closed on 3 May
About 1.6 million South Africans have registered for special voting
If you're not in your registered voting station area on election day, apply for a prior notification on the IEC's website to notify them where your alternative voting station will be - prior notification applications close on 17 May
If you have applied to vote at another voting station but your plans have changed on the day, you can still vote at the voting station you've initially registered at
South African ex-pats vote on the weekend of 17 and 18 May
Bring your South African ID along - license, passports and student cards won't be accepted
When you cast your vote with an 'X' - ensure the 'X' is within the box and that your selection is clear - do not strike the 'X' across blocks to avoid confusion when the IEC counts votes
Do not write your name on the ballot - as soon as IEC members can recognise a voter, the ballot/s becomes a 'spoilt' and cannot be counted
If you make a mistake on any ballot, you can ask for another only if it's before your ballots make it into the box BUT you're only allowed to make mistakes on your ballot box twice
If you are waiting to get your ID from Home Affairs - the department is now open on Saturdays until 1 pm and will also be open on 29 May to issue temporary ID certificates
Your votes are safe and secure. Once the voting station closes, votes are counted by members of the IEC. Qualified observers ensure that the votes are counted correctly and ballot papers are not transported at any point.

Have questions about ballots?

If you are voting within the province you live in, you will get three ballots and they are all different, explains Hendrickse:

1) National ballot: This ballot will be blue, it's one page, a double column with 52 political parties on the ballot: this is where you vote for a political party you want to see in charge of South Africa.

2) Regional ballot: This ballot will be orange. Who do you want to represent the Western Cape in Parliament? This ballot differs from the blue ballot because you will have political parties and independent candidates in a single column. Only 34 parties will be on this list.

3) Provincial ballot: This ballot will be pink. Who will run the provincial government? Twenty-nine parties will be on the list for you to choose from.

And that's Elections 101!