Special-vote ballot delays leave 217 Cape Metro voting districts waiting

Special-vote voters wait at a Cape Metro voting station after ballot delivery delays affected 217 voting districts.

Special-vote voting was delayed across the Cape Metro on Monday, with ballots still missing at 217 voting districts in 33 wards two hours after voting was due to start at 10am.

The disruption affected areas including Strand, Khayelitsha, Philippi, Wynberg, Constantia, the City Bowl, Athlone, Gugulethu, Delft, Atlantis and Kraaifontein, where six wards and 36 voting districts were waiting for ballots.

Kraaifontein was the worst affected area, with six wards and 36 voting districts waiting for ballots.

Special voting for registered applicants was scheduled to run from 8am on November 2. Instead, voters and party volunteers found themselves waiting outside stations without ballot papers.

Siyabonga Duka, ward councillor for Ward 101 in Kraaifontein, told IOL Media that residents were becoming increasingly frustrated.

“We are really frustrated with this thing of IEC. It is really, really frustrating us,” he said.

Duka said some voters had made arrangements to vote on Monday because of other commitments and were now leaving without casting their ballots.

“We are going to lose a lot of people. It is almost 10 AM, and the ballots have not yet arrived.”

He said there had been no advance warning about the delays.

“If they [IEC] knew that there would be something of this nature, they were supposed to inform us. We were not informed of anything.”

According to Duka, volunteers had been at voting stations since early morning but were unable to explain the situation to arriving voters.

“Everyone is here. There are no ballots. People just come, and when they see there is no ballot, they go back.”

He warned that the disruption could undermine confidence in the election process and affect participation.

“This might jeopardise the integrity of the election now because we have planned and engaged with these people.”

He added: “This is going to affect the vote counts if people who are supposed to vote do not end up voting due to this.”

In a statement issued in response to IOL Media’s questions, the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) in the Western Cape attributed the problem to delays in printing and delivering the special-vote ballots.

“Despite the best efforts of the IEC and the printing company contracted to carry out the production of the ballots, there has been an unforeseen delay in the delivery of special vote ballots in some areas,” said Provincial Electoral Officer Michael Hendrickse.

The IEC described the situation as “fluid”, saying voting stations would open as ballots were received.

It said security measures were in place for the transport and delivery of the ballots.

Hendrickse confirmed that the problem was confined to the Cape Metro.

“This only affects the Cape Metro and I want to apologise for the inconvenience to our voters.”

Special voting is scheduled for November 2 and 3, ahead of the November 4 local government elections.

Hendrickse said the IEC would use both days to accommodate those who had applied to vote early.

“It is our intention to honour our mandate and make sure every voter exercise their democratic right to cast their vote.”