Municipal Elections will take place on 1 November 2021. Find out who can register and how, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic.Who can vote?
All South African citizens aged 18 years or older who are registered on the national common voters’ roll are eligible to vote in elections. You can only vote once (per ballot paper) and only in the voting district in which you are registered.
You must register where you live most of the time. When you register in the area where you live, your name will appear on the voters’ roll for that voting district. There are 23 151 voting districts for this year’s elections.
How to register?
Currently South Africa’s voters’ roll has 25,66 million registered voters. Based on population estimates from Statistics South Africa, about 15 million South Africans who are eligible to vote are not registered. Of these, about 60% are under the age of 30!
This is not necessarily a reflection of so-called ‘voter apathy’ by young people. Young voters have simply had fewer opportunities to register than older voters – with millions only qualifying for registration over the past two years since the 2019 general elections.
If you’re a first-time voter, there are two easy ways to register:
1. Visit the voting station for the area in which you live on the only Registration Weekend to be held on Saturday 18 and Sunday 19 September 2021. All voting stations will be open from 8am to 5pm to help you register quickly and easily. Remember to wear a mask and observe social distancing!
2. If you have internet access, you can also register online anywhere, anytime at registertovote.elections.org.za until proclamation of the elections, expected on 20 September 2021. It’s safe, quick and easy.
All you need to register is your South African ID – either a smart ID card, green ID book or a valid temporary ID. You will also need your address details, but you don’t need proof of address, and there’s no truth to the rumour that you need to be vaccinated.
Have more questions? Contact the IEC
@IECSouthAfrica on Facebook or Twitter
IEC helpline 0800 11 8000
Join the conversation: #EveryVoiceTogether #VoteSafe