IEC clarifies confusion over new voting figures on its results page
The confusion caused a stir on social media, prompting the IEC to provide clarity on the matter.
Ballot papers being handled by IEC officials on 29 May 2024 as South Africans queue to vote. Picture: Skhu Nkomphela/Eyewitness News
JOHANNESBURG - The Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) has clarified confusion around the total number of votes reflected on their election dashboard.
This after new figures appeared on the IEC's result pages in respect of the number of voters who cast their ballots in favour of each party.
The confusion caused a stir on social media, prompting the IEC to provide clarity on the matter.
The new figures on the IEC's result page simply reflects both national and regional ballots cast in favour of each party.
Initially, the results only reflected the national ballot results.
IEC deputy communication manager, David Mandaha, explained: "In the 2024 elections, registered voters received two ballots for the National Assembly elections: one national ballot and one regional ballot. The third election ballot was for the provincial elections."
Mandaha explained the calculations resulting in the new figures.
"The Electoral Act prescribes that for the calculation of compensatory seats, both national compensatory ballots and regional ballots are taken into account. Hence the demotion of national plus regional on the results dashboard."
Just over 16 million registered voters voted, casting some 31.92 million ballots across the nine regional and one national ballot.