Election 2009: Register 8 & 9 November

A reminder:-

The registration for voting in next year's election is open on the 8th and 9th of November. Use it or lose it.

If you are unsure whether you are registered, check by clicking here. Or call Toll-free number 0800 11 8000 to be given the exact voting station to which you can register.

You should contact your local municipality (good luck with that) if you don't know where to go and there may be some signs affixed to poles (good luck with that) showing you where to go.

In reply to the young man from New Zealand who just turned 18 and wants to vote, well done for showing an interest. As I commented to you, unfortunately the ANC has rigged it such that the one million expats, many of them CITIZENS of South Africa, may not vote, not postal, not early, nothing.

It is unfair but the ANC knows most of all the expat votes would not go to them so they have deliberately excluded expats. The only silver lining to this election is that if we can get the ANC majority down then this election may be the last one that any South African citizen, irrespective of where in the world he/she resides, is excluded. I am certain that opposition parties will push to include expats after 2009 and the ANC won't be able to do anything about it.

Here's what the Act says:

In so far as overseas voting is concerned, section 33 of the Act provides for the two categories, viz. absence from the RSA on government service or membership of the household of a person being so absent. This covers embassy staff and their households.

The second category, which has been included in terms of the Act, is made up of those voters who are temporarily absent from the RSA for purposes of a holiday, a business trip, attendance of a tertiary institution or an educational visit or participation in an international sports event.

Persons in the second category must however inform the Commission within 15 days after the proclamation of the date of the election of their intended absence including their intention to vote as well as the place where they will cast their vote. Persons who wish to vote overseas must be registered in the voting district where they are ordinarily resident in South Africa, and present their green barded ID and their passport. In collaboration with the department of Foreign Affairs, work has already begun to give effect to this provision.

In other words, ANC government employees and helpers may vote (likely to be ANC anyway so the risk is acceptable) and those travelling but the rest of us, nope.

Make it count!

See also; Many first-time voters keen to register, ‘make a difference‘