The Electoral Commission of South Africa has urged those who have registered but cannot vote at their voting stations to apply for special votes. Special voters will be eligible to vote two days before the actual voting day on the 27th and 28th of May.
IEC explained that in order to qualify for a special vote, one must be unable to visit their local voting station on voting day because they are pregnant, infirm or have a disability that prevents them from visiting a voting station on election day. "You may also be eligible for a special vote for other reasons, such as work. Special votes can either be cast at home where IEC officials visit you at your residence or at a voting station. Special votes and home visits for this year's general elections will take place on 27 and 28 May and the closing date to apply for special votes is 3 May." IEC said in a statement.
The IEC says to begin the online application for a special vote, one must visit the IEC website on https://www.elections.org.za/. Then navigate to the 'Voters' tab and under the tab, click on 'Apply for a special vote? in the middle column.
You can apply if you:
• Are a registered voter.
• Have a valid South African identity document (green, barcoded ID book; smartcard ID or a valid Temporary Identity Certificate).
To check that you're registered and to find out where you're registered, you can:
• Check your voter registration status. SMS your ID number to 32810, or
• Call the IEC's contact centre on 012 622 5700.
The IEC says If one can't apply for a special vote online, they can do it in person at their local IEC office. "If you want to apply for a special vote at your home, you can send a relative or spouse to apply on your behalf. You first need to make an appointment. You can do that by calling your local IEC office. After you have made an appointment, you can visit your local IEC office during the operating hours of Monday to Friday between 9am and 5pm.A the local IEC office, you will need to present the MEC 35 form. You can download the form online or you can request this form at the IEC office."
