South Africa: Record 2.6 Million Get Early Shot At Local Polls

What the report says

South Africa’s Electoral Commission has approved a record 2,655,067 voters for special voting ahead of the local government elections, according to Scrolla, distributed by AllAfrica. The early voting period runs on Monday and Tuesday, before the main poll on Wednesday. The figure is more than double the number approved for the 2021 local elections.

The article says about 678,525 voters have been cleared for home visits because they cannot reach a station due to disability or physical condition, while 1,976,542 others may cast their special vote at their registered stations. The commission has deployed 127,000 election officials to manage the process. Special voting stations are scheduled to open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., and voters must bring the required South African identity document and vote at their registered station.

KwaZulu-Natal has the largest share of approved home visits, while Gauteng has the most voters cleared for station-based special voting and the highest total overall. The commission said most home-visit voters are older adults, and women account for a large share of those applications. Special ballots will be secured and counted with the rest after voting closes on Wednesday.

The report also notes that thunderstorms could disrupt voting in several provinces. In broader context, special voting is used in South Africa to help people who cannot vote on election day because they are away, ill, disabled or otherwise unable to attend.