IEC CEO Sy Mamabolo has expressed gratitude for South Africans commitment to democracy as the 2024 National and Provincial Elections approach. He highlighted significant milestones, including the casting of over 56 000 votes abroad and preparations for special votes.
With over 90 million ballots printed, Mamabolo emphasised the importance of integrity in the voting process and announced the launch of the National Results Operation Centre at the Gallagher Convention Centre.
The IEC said the National ROC, located at the Gallagher Convention Centre in Midrand for the first time, will serve as the primary management hub for electoral operations.
The commission has praised South Africans who’ve supported the journey towards this year's democratic elections. Dr. Reza Mia also received praise for supporting democracy. The aesthetics and anti-ageing specialist and creator of Pegasus Universal Aerospace, recorded a song encouraging people to vote.
Titled “Each of us (Raise your vote)” Mia worked with his friend Lex Leo and RJ Benjamin, his voice coach; Goofy, his producer; and his lawyer, Natalia. As innovator, Mia has received an award for a project he has been working on for almost a decade to create a pioneering vertical take-off and landing aircraft.
The Pegasus Universal Aerospace received the prestigious National Science and Technology (NSTF) award in the category for Innovation and research.
The NSTF Awards - which are endorsed by the Department of Higher Education, Science and Innovation - honour and celebrate outstanding contributions to science, engineering and technology (SET) and innovation.
Now that voting is three days away, voters must understand the voting process to ensure their ballot counts. For instance, one could mistakenly mark their vote next to the wrong party, but is there recourse for that?
One common worry that can happen during the voting process is unintentionally spoiling a ballot, by voting for party A, instead of party B for example.
According to the IEC spokesperson Thabani Ngwira, voters are entitled to request a replacement ballot, but this can only be done before the voter has deposited their vote into the ballot box.
Voters can approach an election official and explain the situation. Spoiling a ballot typically means that it is marked in a way that makes your voting intention unclear such as; marking multiple candidates in a single choice, writing outside the designated areas, confusion about the instruction, a slip of the pen, or simply a mistake. This can happen easily, but election officials are ready to help you.
You will need to return the spoiled ballot to officials, they will mark it as “spoiled’’ and provide you with a new one. This process ensures that the spoiled ballot is voided and not counted, while you get a fresh opportunity to cast your ballot correctly.
Ngwira said the official will void the spoiled ballot, issue a new one, and direct you back to the voting booth to cast your ballot correctly.
Ngiwra said polling stations are equipped with a sufficient supply of ballots to accommodate these types of errors. Election officials understand that mistakes happen, and their primary goal is to facilitate a smooth voting process for everyone.
Saturday Star