Durban — Many of the voters who stood in the queue at Dr Macken Mistry Primary School in Sea Cow Lake, ward 37, had big smiles as they greeted neighbours, friends and family.
The wait for many was about 45 minutes on Wednesday morning. People were happy to wait and found the process a breeze.
But I was frustrated by the IEC's inefficiency, having accompanied my husband and my daughter, who is a first-time voter, to cast our vote at the local high school, Lakehaven Secondary, which is the voting station for ward 11 that caters for residents of Bakerville, New Dawn Park and parts of Hippo Road, Centre Road and Ringside Place.
While my husband and daughter's names appeared on the ward 11 voter’s roll, I was turned away and told to vote at Dr Macken Mistry Primary School.
Despite explaining that I had previously voted at the high school and asked why my name was on another voter’s roll at a different venue when all three of us had the same residential address, the IEC officials were unable to answer.
My daughter, who had a short wait, was happy to have been able to cast her vote for the first time.
Determined to make my mark, I went to where I was told, which was the voting station for residents of the neighbouring Parlock, and joined a long queue and eventually had my thumb inked.
During a conversation with an IEC official at the primary school where I explained what had happened, he informed me that this had happened to another couple before me who were made to vote at different stations yet had the same address.
As I walked out, I wondered if others who found themselves in a similar situation would bother to go to the other voting station and wait in another queue.
WhatsApp your views on this story to 071 485 7995.
Daily News