HOW TO APPLY FOR A SPECIAL VOTE

On 12 February, 2009 the President proclaimed in the government gazette that the South African elections will take place on 22 April.

This post is designed to tell you how to apply for a Special Vote. Forward the link onto your friends.

You must submit your special vote form by 27 March 2009.

Who qualifies for a Special Vote?

At the present moment only the following South Africans who are abroad on the Election Day qualify for a special vote:

South Africans who are temporarily out of the country because they are:

• on holiday;
• on a business trip;
• on an educational visit;
• are attending a tertiary institution; or
• are participating in an international sports event.

In other words, at the present moment South Africans who are living or working temporarily abroad do not qualify for a special vote.

However, the DA encourages all South Africans living abroad and who are registered to vote to apply for a special vote irrespective if you fall into one of the above categories or not.

How to apply for a Special Vote

1. You have to be a registered voter

To apply for a special vote in the upcoming 2009 National and Provincial Elections, you have to be a registered voter.

If you have registered before (either in 1994, 1999, 2006 or on the registration weekends in November 2008 or February 2009) you do not need to re-register. Check here to see if you are registered to vote (all you need is your South African ID number).

2. If you are abroad

You will be able to vote at the South African foreign mission closest to you. You can find out which foreign mission is closest to you by visiting the Department of Foreign Affairs website.

Voting at foreign missions usually takes place seven days before the Election Day in South Africa.

To apply you must:

Notify the Chief Electoral Officer of the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) that you want to cast a special vote at a foreign mission by completing a VEC10 form which you must send to the IEC either by post or by fax.

Postal Address:
P O Box 7943
Pretoria
0001
South Africa

Fax number:
+27 12 428 5566 or +27 12 428 5279

This must be done within 15 days from 12 February 2009.

You may not change the place where you indicated you want to vote after these 15 days have expired so make sure your foreign mission is correct.

The Chief Electoral Officer will check whether you are a registered voter and will then inform the foreign mission where you intend to vote that you have successfully applied for a special vote.

If your application is successful you must:

• Phone your foreign mission or look at the Election Timetable that is published by the IEC to find out what date has been set aside for you to vote;
• On the voting day you must go to your foreign mission during office hours with you green bar-coded identity document and your passport;
• At the mission you will fill in a VEC1 form and produce your passport to the voting officer;
• The voting officer will check that your application to the IEC for a special vote was successful;
• If the voting officer is happy with your application you must then produce your green bar-coded identity document;
• You will then be able to cast your vote.

For more information, visit the IEC’s page on Special Voting.

Why the DA wants you to apply for a Special Vote

This election is the most exciting election yet. The ANC is the weakest it has been since 1994 and the DA is growing stronger each day as a result.

The ANC has split and this a positive development for democracy, because it means that the ANC is no longer guaranteed majorities in every province in South Africa.

The DA believes that this election will be the tipping point in South Africa where the country will be on its way to forming a brand new government that no longer serves an elite few but rather one that serves all the people in an Open Opportunity Society for All.

The DA is on track to win the Western Cape in 2009 and there is a good chance that we will form coalition governments in other provinces, too.

And that is just the beginning: the DA will govern in towns and cities across the country after the 2011 local government elections; and we will be part of the national government in 2014.

However, we need you to make our dream for South Africa – our dream of one nation, one future – into a reality.

Only you have the power to make the change that is so vitally needed in this country. The change that will ensure a government is put into power that delivers on its promises.

It is therefore imperative that you apply for a special vote within the 15-day period if you will be out of the country on Election Day.

The DA is committed to building a better future. A future in which every person is free. Where everyone has access to life-changing opportunities. Where growth and prosperity are shared by all. Where every child is protected and safe and where each and every language and culture is respected and protected.

We call on you to commit yourselves to the same future. To apply for a special vote and to vote for the DA on your election day.

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