Why you should register even if not near a Diplomatic Mission
Dear South African Abroad
Welcome to 2024 – this is the year that we get a chance to help save our country!
The window of opportunity to register to vote for the upcoming election is swiftly closing – in fact, we likely only have a month or so left!
We know that access to voting stations is a big concern for overseas South Africans and that it may be deterring people from registering – please register anyway! This is particularly true in countries, such as Australia or Canada or New Zealand where major cities are several hours flight apart.
The DA will be lobbying the IEC to provide more voting stations in cities with large populations of South Africans around the world.
So, if you live in Perth and can only vote in Canberra right now – register anyway!
If you live in Vancouver and can only vote in Toronto currently – register anyway!
If you live in Auckland and can only vote in Wellington – register anyway!
In the interim you can sign our petition for more voting stations here.
Other important things to note ahead of registering to vote:
Check your registration status: This is an important first step, please check this here: https://www.elections.org.za/pw/Voter/Voter-Information, as you may still be registered in South Africa, or not registered at all. Please remember that if you aren’t registered overseas, you can’t vote overseas so you need to change your voting station to a diplomatic mission.
In-person registration weekend – this will take place over this weekend the 26/27 or 27/28 January 2024. Please check your local mission for the dates applicable in your country.
Online Registration – if you can’t make the in-person registration weekend the good news is that you can still register online! However, once the election is declared (expected in February 2024), registration opportunities will close – so do this soon! Register online here
Help with Registration and FAQs: We know that you may have a lot of questions regarding registration and the upcoming vote, so we have created several guides with all the latest information, including:
- How to register
- How to Navigate the IEC portal
- What documentation you need to vote
- Where you can vote and much, much more
You can find all of this here
Our time is running out to contribute to South Africa’s most important election since 1994 – it is likely that we only have a few weeks left to make this happen – so register today!
Please reach out to us if you have any concerns or need any guidance regarding registering or voting overseas.
Together, this international community of South Africans CAN make a difference!
Sincerely
Ludre Stevens
DA Abroad Chairperson