While some glitches were reported during today’s elections, the IEC says that most problems were ironed out and voters exercised patience despite often long queues.
Indications are that today’s voter turnout will be ‘well beyond’ the 66% recorded in the 2019 national elections, said Sy Mamabolo, the CEO of the Electoral Commission at a media briefing at 19:00.
With two hours of voting left when the briefing started, Mamabolo said ‘we are experiencing a late surge’ of voters. “ are processing a large number of voters in certain areas, particularly the metropolitan areas in Gauteng, the Western Cape, KZN and Eastern Cape.” Despite the IEC having procured 34 000 lights, power outages in some areas, including Soshanguve in Gauteng, saw voters making their mark by the light of their phone torches.
“However, should members of the public spot electoral material, they are urged not to touch them but to report the matter to the police.”Mamabolo said that a ‘new category of staff who will support the presiding officer with the counting effort’ has been instituted to improve the quality of the counting and the completion of result slips. “The recruitment criteria for these staff was slightly different from the rest as high levels of numeracy are mandatory.
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