End of the line for voter registration

The 2024 general election date has been officially gazetted, and as such the clock is ticking for those who have still not registered to vote.

The Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) will be closing its voter registration at 23:59 on 23 February.

Only those who are on the voters roll (registered before midnight) will be allowed to vote in the 2024 general elections, which will officially take place on 29 May 2024.

Although the election date had already been announced earlier this week, President Cyril Ramaphosa only issued its proclamation today, which has legal consequences as once the election date has been officially gazetted, that is that day that the voters roll has to close.

Once the voters roll is closed, the IEC will begin its process of receiving and processing candidates names from political parties and independents.

Over 360 political parties (excluding independents) are hoping to contest in this year’s general elections, but they must meet specific requirements.

These requirements include submitting a deposit, providing the names of candidates before the commission’s cut-off date, and ensuring that those individuals are legally eligible to hold public office.

There are currently just over 27.65 million people on the voters roll – with over 1.2 million new registrations since November 2023.

Registration assistance

• To register to vote, it can be done through the online registration portal on the IEC website.

• To check your registration status and details, it can be done so here.

Read: Extra public holiday for South Africa – Ramaphosa announces election date