IEC ballot delays disrupt special voting at 217 Cape Metro voting districts

At 10am on Monday, hundreds of voting stations in Cape Metro were still lacking special-vote ballots, two hours after voting was set to begin. This caused confusion among voters, resulting in long waits and questions about whether some would abandon their attempt to cast ballots. The issue affected 33 wards and 217 voting districts across the metro, including areas like Strand, Khayelitsha, Philippi, Wynberg, Constantia, the City Bowl, Athlone, Gugulethu, Delft, Atlantis, and Kraaifontein.

Kraaifontein, in particular, faced the most significant delay, with six wards and 36 voting districts without the necessary ballots. Siyabonga Duka, the ward councillor for Ward 101 in Kraaifontein, expressed frustration with the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC), noting that residents were growing increasingly annoyed. Some voters had scheduled their voting for Monday due to other commitments and were now leaving without casting their ballots.

Duka highlighted that there had been no prior notice of the delays, and volunteers had been at the stations since the early morning but were unable to provide explanations to arriving voters. The IEC acknowledged the delay was due to unforeseen issues in printing and delivering the special-vote ballots, despite their best efforts and the assistance of a contracted printing company.

Provincial Electoral Officer Michael Hendrickse apologized for the inconvenience, stating that the problem was confined to the Cape Metro. He assured that voting stations would open as ballots were delivered and emphasized that security measures were in place for the transport and delivery of the ballots. Special voting, scheduled for November 2 and 3, ahead of the local government elections on November 4, will continue to accommodate those who requested early voting.

The IEC aims to honor its mandate and ensure every voter can exercise their democratic right to cast their ballot.