/ 9 February 2014

Last chance for voter registration

Last Chance For Voter Registration

Sunday is the last day eligible voters can register at their voting stations for this year's general elections.

The Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) wanted 80% of the voting population on its voters' roll before the general elections on May 7.

On Thursday, the IEC said just over 24.1- million South Africans registered to vote. Spokesperson Kate Bapela said this was 76.7% of the voting age population, estimated at 31.4-million, according to Statistics SA. To reach the target, another 1.1-million people needed to register.

Bapela said 22 263 voting stations throughout the country would be open on Saturday and Sunday from 8am to 5pm.

On Friday President Jacob Zuma announced that the fifth national general elections would be held on May 7. Once the proclamation was published the IEC would send out an election timetable. This would contain deadlines for submissions of candidate lists by political parties and applications for special votes, among others.

After consultation with political parties in the national party liaison committee, the IEC would publish the full election timetable in the Government Gazette, Bapela said. – Sapa