Cape Town – The Electoral Commission (IEC) has confirmed that special voting has concluded for hundreds of South Africans living abroad.
The commission said that the voting proceeded smoothly without major incidents.
“This is a testament to the meticulous logistics, planning, and execution of those plans across all missions. The Commission expresses gratitude to South Africans who cast special votes in missions around the world,” the IEC said on Sunday.
Between May 17 and 18, special votes were cast by at least 78,000 South Africans at 111 missions worldwide, with London being the last to close.
Made our mark in Ankara today! South Africans living abroad voted in the general elections. Thanks to @SAEmb_Ankara for their efficiency and friendliness.#CountryDuty done.#SAelections24 #OverseasVoting pic.twitter.com/5fPvOLFbAQ
— Yashini Padayachee (@yashini_p) May 18, 2024
“Appreciations are also due to voters who in some instances had to endure intemperate weather, wait in queues for extended periods, and travel significant distances. In many stations, a steady flow of voters was reported throughout the day with some missions only closing some two hours beyond their scheduled operating hours.
“Notwithstanding, voters still expressed gratitude on social media and other platforms for the seamless voting experience and level of service they received at stations,” the IEC said.
Voted in Mumbai today. 🗳️ also – today was the first time Mumbai facilitated an abroad voting contingent and I was the first South African ever to vote in an SA election in Mumbai. #claimtofame pic.twitter.com/5wdfnEZ5kB
— Weslee Lauder (@auntywes) May 18, 2024
Despite challenging conditions, voters expressed gratitude for the smooth process.
The ballots will be securely transported back to South Africa for counting after domestic voting closes on May 29, the commission said.
Preparations are now focused on in-country special voting on May 27-28, with 1.7 million approved special votes.
It’s national voting day for South Africans living abroad so I went to the South African embassy in Seoul and did the thing ✍️🏾🫰🏾🇿🇦🇿🇦 #IVoted pic.twitter.com/8NRpOB6W3a
— 미카 (@Mika_Ngobeni) May 18, 2024
“With overseas voting completed, the Electoral Commission turns its attention to preparations for the in-country special voting which will take place two days before election day on May 27 and 28. There are 1.7 million approved special votes.
“About 653 000 of these are home visit special votes while just over 1 million are voting station special votes. In all, there is at least a single approved special vote in 22 626 of the total 23 292 network of voting stations,” said the IEC.
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Compiled by Betha Madhomu
