Following the proclamation of the election date of 29 May 2024 and closing of the voters’ roll, the Electoral Commission will today publish the provisional voters’ roll for inspection.

This is according to the Electoral Commission’s Chief Electoral Officer Sy Mamabolo, who briefed the media on Monday in Pretoria.

He said voter verifications as well as other validations are currently underway to ensure that there is compliance with the provisions of the law in respect of eligibility to vote.

‘An electronic version of the voters’ roll will be made available at all offices of the Commission for inspection purposes. Those who wish to object to the inclusion or exclusion of a voter on the voters’ roll must do so by the 4th March 2024.

‘The objections received on or before 4th March 2024 will be considered, investigated and determined by the Commission by 11 March 2024. It is important to remind roleplayers that objections to the voters’ roll are governed by the law,’ Mamabolo said.

Mamabolo said the procedura
l as well as the substantive requirements of Section 15 of the Electoral Act must be satisfied when lodging an objection.

He said the pertinent aspects in this regard include outlining the relief sought and establishing the basis for such relief as well as serving the objection on the person against whom the objection is raised.

‘Following the determination of voters’ roll objections, the Chief Electoral Officer will certify the voters’ roll on 12 March 2024. Electronic copies of the certified voters’ roll will be made available to contestants and a printed copy will be prepared for use in voting stations on Election Day,’ he said.

Mamabolo said the proclamation of the election date by the President at the weekend has certain legal consequences for the electoral process.

‘The first major implication is that the voters’ roll has now closed. This means no further voter registration may take place, either at a local office or online,’ Mamabolo said.

He said the second implication is that the Commission is e
njoined to publish an Election Timetable following consultation with the National Political Liaison Committee.

‘This political consultation was also conducted on 23 February 2024, paving the way for the publication of the timetable. Accordingly, the 2024 timetable was published on Saturday, 24 February 2024.

‘The timetable is the motive force in the intensive preparations for the delivery of the 2024 general elections. The timetable outlines all the key cut-off-times and dates for the performance of salient electoral activities. The timetable contains crucial performance dates for election contestants as well as the broad voting public.

‘As regards the voting public, the focal point is accessing the voting process through special arrangements, including dates for applications for special votes and notifications to vote outside of voting stations of registration,’ Mamabolo said.

The Chief Electoral Officer said as it pertains to contestants, the timetable is equally crucial in that it contains key dates to
be complied with relating to the nomination of candidates and the payment of prescribed deposits.

Election Timetable

Notice of provisional voters’ roll available for Inspection

By 26 February 2024, the Chief Electoral Officer must give notice of the periods during which and the venues where the provisionally compiled voters’ roll compiled for the election shall be available for inspection in terms of section 14(2)(e).

Notice that list of addresses of voting stations is available for inspection

The Chief Electoral Officer must give notice by 12 April 2024, that from the date of the notice until the voting day, copies of a list containing the addresses of all voting stations will be available for inspection.

Notice of route of mobile voting stations

The Chief Electoral Officer must give notice by 12 April 2024, of the route, including the locations and estimated times of stopping of each mobile voting station.

Cut-off date for objections to the provisional voters’ roll

Any person, including the Chief E
lectoral Officer, may object to the inclusion or exclusion of a person on the provisional voters’ roll, or the correctness of any person’s registration details on that provisional voter’s roll, by 4 March 2024 in terms of section 15.

Cut-off date for notification and application to vote outside of the Republic

By 22 April 2024, a person who intends to vote outside of the Republic is required to notify the Chief Electoral Officer of their intention to vote outside of the Republic in terms of section 33(3) or (4), read with regulation 10.

Cut-off date for the commission to decide on objections to the provisional voter’s roll

By 11 March 2024, the Commission must decide any objection made in terms of section 15 in respect of the provisionally compiled voters’ roll for this election and notify the objector and the chief electoral officer and a person other than the objector whose name or registration details are involved.

Cut-off date for certification and publication of voters’ roll

By 12 March 2024, the c
hief electoral officer must certify the voters’ roll or the segments of the voters’ roll to be used in this election in terms of section 24(2).

Cut-off date for submission of list of candidates and nominations of independent candidates

Registered parties that intend to contest this election must nominate and submit a list of their candidates for the election to the Chief Electoral Officer in the prescribed manner by 08 March 2024. Nominators of independent candidates that intend to contest this election must submit their nominations to the Chief Electoral Officer in the prescribed manner by 08 March 2024.

The objector or the registered party who nominated the candidate may appeal against a decision of the Commission in terms of section 30(4) to the Electoral Court in the prescribed manner by 02 April 2024. (2) The objector or the nominated independent candidate may appeal against a decision of the Commission in terms of section 31E(4) in the prescribed manner by 02 April 2024.

Cut-of date for notice of no
n-compliance by contestants in respect of lists of candidates

The Chief Electoral Officer must notify a registered party that has submitted a list of candidates in terms of section 27 but has not fully complied with section 27(2)(a), (b), (cA), (d) or section 27(4), of that non-compliance by 18 March 2024.

The Chief Electoral Officer must notify the person nominated to be an independent candidate, who has not fully complied with section 31B(3)(c), (d), (e), (f) or section 31B(4), of that non-compliance by 18 March 2024.

If the party or person notified in terms of sub-item (1) or (1A) takes the opportunity to comply with section 27(2)(a), (b), (cA), (d), section 27(4), section 31B(3)(c), (d), (e), (f) or section 31B(4), that party or person must do so by 20 March 2024.

Cut-off dates for notification of contestants of candidates appearing on multiple contestant list

The Commission must notify a candidate whose name appears on more than one party list for an election submitted in terms of section 27 and all
the parties on whose party lists such a candidate appears by 22 March 2024. The Commission must notify a person who has been nominated both as an independent candidate and by one or more parties for an election; and all the parties on whose party lists such a candidate appears, of the multiple nominations by 22 March 2024. If the notified party decides to act in terms of section 28(3) or section 31C(3), that party must do so by 25 March 2024.

Inspection of lists of candidates and draft list of independent candidates and accompanying documents

The Chief Electoral Officer must give notice by 26 March 2024, that on 26 March 2024 and 27 March 2024, between 09:00 and 17:00, copies of the following documents will be available for inspection: The lists of candidates and accompanying documents submitted by registered parties in terms of section 27, as amended and supplemented in terms of section 28; and the draft list of independent candidates and accompanying documents submitted in terms of section 31B, as amended
and supplemented in terms of section 31C.

Cut-off date for objections

Any person, including the Chief Electoral Officer, may object to a candidate to the Commission in the prescribed manner by 27 March 2024.

Decision of objections

The Commission must decide an objection under section 30 or section 31E, and must notify the objector, the registered party that nominated the candidate, and the nominated independent candidate, if applicable, of the decision in the prescribed manner by 28 March 2024.

Cut-off date for appeals against decisions

The objector or the registered party who nominated the candidate may appeal against a decision of the Commission in terms of section 30(4) to the Electoral Court in the prescribed manner by 02 April 2024. The objector or the nominated independent candidate may appeal against a decision of the Commission in terms of section 31E(4) in the prescribed manner by 02 April 2024.

Deciding appeals

The Electoral Court must consider and decide an appeal brought under section 30(4
) or 31E(4) and notify the parties to the appeal, and the chief electoral officer, of the decision in the prescribed manner by 09 April 2024.

Application for special vote to Chief Electoral Officer

A person who wants to apply to the Chief Electoral Officer for a special vote in terms of section 33(1)(a),(b) or (c) or section 33(2) read with regulation 7,8 and 9, and section 33A(1)(a),(b) or (c) or section 33A(2) read with regulation 15,15A and 15B may do so from 15 April 2024 until 03 May 2024.

List of parties and candidates entitled to contest election and final list of candidates

By 10 April 2024, the Chief Electoral Officer must give effect to a decision of the Commission in terms of section 30(3), section 31E(3), or a decision of the Electoral Court in terms of section 30(5) or section 31E(5); and must compile a list of the registered parties entitled to contest the election, the final list of candidates for each of those parties, and the list of independent candidates contesting this election.

Issue
of certificate to candidates

By 12 April 2024, the Chief Electoral Officer must issue in the prescribed manner to each candidate on a final list of candidates, and to each independent candidate on the final list of independent candidates, a certificate stating that the person is a candidate in this election in terms of section 31(3) and section 31F(3).

Casting of votes at foreign missions

A person who wants to cast a special vote at a foreign mission in terms of section 33(3) or (4), may do so on 17 May 2024 and 18 May 2024, between 07:00 and 19:00.

Visitation for the purposes of casting a special vote

A person who has applied for a special vote in terms of section 33(1)(a), read with regulations 7 and 8 and section 33A(1)(a) read with regulation 15 and 15A, may be visited by voting officers on 27 May 2024 and 28 May 2024, between 09:00 and 17:00.

Casting of special votes at the office of the presiding officer

A person whose application for a special vote has been approved and who wants to cast a speci
al vote at the office of the presiding officer in terms of section 33(1)(b), (c) or 33(2) read with regulation 9, and section 33A(1)(b),(c) or 33A(2) read with regulation 15B may do so on 27 May 2024 and 28 May 2024, between 09:00 and 17:00.

Source: South African Government News Agency