Western Cape voter registration: IEC says all systems go despite storm damage

The Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) in the Western Cape said it’s all systems go for this weekend’s first voter registration drive ahead of the local government elections on 4 November.

From Saturday until Sunday, eligible South Africans will be able to register to vote or update their registration details.

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The IEC said that more than 3.3 million voters are currently registered in the province.

There were concerns that last month’s deadly storms in the Western Cape could affect the voter registration weekend, particularly in areas where infrastructure and electricity networks were damaged.

However, Western Cape Provincial Electoral Officer Michael Hendrickse said that the IEC had been working closely with disaster management teams to ensure voting stations remain operational.

“We recently met with Eskom regarding the restoration of power.”  Said Hendricks. “As you know, many areas across the province were cut off. Eskom has assured us that work is continuing to restore the affected power lines.”

The IEC said that more than 1,600 voting stations will be open across the province Saturday and Sunday from 8 am to 5 pm.

It’s urging all eligible citizens to register and take part in the upcoming local government elections.