Voter Registration 2016: Everything you need to know
With a few days to go before the voter registration weekend, many South Africans have questions about how, when and where to register. We have all the important information you need.
All voting stations will open from 8am to 5pm over the weekend of Saturday 5 March and Sunday 6 March for new voters to register and for existing voters to update and check their registration details ahead of this year's Municipal Elections.
According to the Independent Electoral Commission, the Electoral Commission statistics for registration show that voter registration currently stands at 24.98 million against a voting age population currently estimated at about 34.1 million by Statistics South Africa.
Who can register?
You must:
- be a South African citizen;
- be at least 16 years old (you can only vote from age 18); and
- have a green, bar-coded ID book; smartcard ID; or valid Temporary Identity Certificate (TIC).
What documents do I need to apply for registration?
By law, you must apply in person (no online or email registrations are permitted). You will need:
- green, bar-coded ID book;
- smartcard ID; or
- valid Temporary Identity Certificate (TIC)
How do I know if or where I'm registered?
To check your registration details, you can:
- send an SMS with your ID number to 32810 (R1.00 per SMS);
- download the IEC mobile app and enter your ID number;
- check your registration details online;
- check at your voting station during a registration weekend; or
- check at your local IEC office during office hours.
Who needs to register?
First time voters and those who need to re-register.
You need to re-register when:
- your home address changes (if you've moved a short distance, click here to find out how to check if your voting district has changed), or
- the IEC informed you that your voting district boundaries have changed. Click here to check your voter registration details to find out if you may have to re-register.
To find out if you need to re-register:
- Check your voter registration details and make a note of your voting station and voting district number.
- Go to our voting station finder and search for your current home address. On the map, locate the voting district number (blue digits within the green borders of your district - see below). Compare the voting district number here to your registration details - if they're not the same, you need to re-register in your new voting district.
Why should I register to vote?
Municipal Elections are held every five years to elect councillors who will be responsible for governing your municipality for the next five years. They will serve on the town, city, metropolitan and/or district councils that ensure services for the people in their areas including providing water, electricity, sewerage and sanitation services, waste removal and other services that directly impact your daily life.