PRETORIA — The Electoral Commission of South Africa has heralded a robust beginning to the country's second voter registration weekend, noting that 304,221 individuals visited voting stations in the early hours of the first day. This initiative is part of the preparatory steps for the 2024 National and Provincial Elections, with a notable 55,019 of these visitors registering to vote for the first time.
According to South African Government News Agency, The Commission articulated its satisfaction with the turnout, emphasizing that such early participation not only bodes well for the registration effort but also underscores the continued involvement of citizens in the democratic processes of their country. Furthermore, within five hours of the registration commencement at 8 am across 23,303 nationwide voting stations, over 99% were operational, showcasing the readiness and efficiency of the electoral infrastructure for this crucial weekend happening on February 3 and 4, 2024, following the initial registration weekend on November 18 and 19, 2023.
Expressing gratitude towards the 68,718 electoral officers for their commitment and to citizens for their active participation, the Commission highlighted the importance of every South African in utilizing this opportunity to register and vote in the upcoming elections. The online voter registration portal also saw significant activity, recording over 20,325 transactions on the day, including 7,234 new registrations.
This weekend's success follows two significant milestones for the Commission: the national voters' roll exceeding 27 million registrants for the first time, up from 26.7 million in the 2019 elections, and nearly 200,000 new registrations via the online platform since the November registration weekend, with total registrations in this period reaching approximately 498,000.
Additionally, the Department of Home Affairs is extending its operations over the weekend to support voters in obtaining necessary identity documents for registration, a move for which the Commission expressed deep appreciation. This effort underscores the national objective to ensure full voter participation in the 2024 elections, with the Commission reminding that voters typically cast their ballots at the station where they're registered, except under regulated exceptions.
The Electoral Commission's call to action for all eligible voters to partake in the remainder of the registration weekend is a pivotal step in shaping the democratic future of South Africa, inviting participation both online and in-person at registration stations.