Ballot delays held up opening of 217 Cape Town special-voting stations
The IEC said affected Cape Town stations were opening as ballots arrived after delays at Monday’s scheduled 08:00 start.
Ballot-paper delivery delays prevented 217 voting stations in the Cape Town metro from opening on time for special voting at 08:00 on Monday, 2 November, according to the Electoral Commission’s Western Cape provincial electoral officer.
Smile FM reported Michael Hendrickse’s account of the disruption on Monday morning. He said affected stations were opening as their ballots arrived, describing a changing situation rather than a fixed list of stations remaining closed.
The figure of 217 therefore refers to the scheduled opening time. It is not a confirmed count of stations still waiting for ballots later in the morning.
Hendrickse said the delivery delays were unforeseen and that security arrangements remained in place for transporting the ballots. He said voting stations outside the metro were operating smoothly and that the commission intended to enable approved special voters to cast their ballots over the two-day period.
What approved special voters need to know
Special voting takes place on Monday, 2 November, and Tuesday, 3 November, before general voting on Wednesday, 4 November. The IEC’s announced hours for station-based special voting are 08:00 to 17:00 on both days.
Approved voters must vote at the station where they are registered. The accepted identification documents are a Smart ID card, green barcoded ID book or a temporary identity document issued by Home Affairs.
The IEC says voters can check their special-vote status by SMS to 32711, at R1 per SMS. Station details can be checked through its WhatsApp service on 0600 88 0000 or its contact centre on 0800 11 8000.
Voters approved for home visits should follow the separate IEC guidance on waiting for electoral officials.