Eligible voters who applied for special votes will cast their ballots over the next two days.
This election marks the first time independent candidates will appear on ballot papers. The names of independents will be seen on two of the three ballot papers.
Independent candidates will be listed on the Regional and Provincial ballots, competing with political parties for seats in the National Assembly and Provincial Legislatures. However, in the Northern Cape, no independent candidates are contesting the elections.
This historic inclusion confirms the Constitutional right of independents to participate in national and provincial elections, following the Constitutional Court’s declaration on June 11, 2020, that the Electoral Act was unconstitutional.
The resulting Electoral Amendment Act allows independents to contest 200 seats in the National Assembly through the Regional Ballot and for seats in provincial legislatures.
In the Northern Cape, all three ballot papers will feature only political party names.
VIDEO | IEC briefing on the readiness for Special Votes taking place on 27 May and 28 May 2024:
