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Brief Profiles of Countries, EMBs and Partner Organisations of A-WEB

er-registration-details. If you live abroad, but previ- 10. Voter Education system for different category of
ously registered in South Africa, you are still regis- voters Best Practices
tered. When checking your registration details, you The IEC is tasked with promoting “knowledge of
may see a message that indicates that you’re re- sound and democratic electoral processes” and
quired to re-register due to changes to your voting with promoting voter education; the IEC is empow-
district boundaries, but this message only applies ered to accredit voter education agents and it has
to voters living in South Africa. Registered voters also funded non partisan organisations to under-
now living abroad are not required to re-register. take education in the past.

9. Method of electoral Dispute resolution 11. Pictures of Electoral Processes/Voter Education
Section 103(a) of the Electoral Act empowers the #Elections2019
commission to resolve electoral disputes or com-
plaints through conciliation. Provincial coordina-
tors for conflict management are appointed to
coordinate initiativesfor the creation of conditions
for free and fair elections, intervene in disputes and
ensure stakeholders adhere to the electoral code
of conduct. The role of the provincial coordina-
tor is to:  Coordinate the conflict management
programme in the province;  Recruit conflict
management panellists;  Monitor, evaluate and
report on existing or potential conflict situations
in the province;  Liaise with provincial stakehold- Picture: Courtney Africa/African News Agency (ANA)
ers;  Facilitate access to legal recourse; and  https://www.iol.co.za/capeargus/news/elec-
Mediate and resolve conflicts by deploying a con- tions2019-45-million-sa-youngsters-have-no-in-
flict panellist to affected areas. In addition to the tention-of-voting-18965279
IEC’s provincial coordinator conflict management
programme, there are two other important dispute
resolution mechanisms.

Party liaison committees: Political parties are key
stakeholders in an election. The Electoral Commis-
sion Act determines that one of the IEC’s functions
is to ‘establish and maintain liaison and coopera-
tion with parties’ (section 5.1[g]).
People in South Africa queueing up to vote in the
electoral court The Electoral Court is estab- elections
lished by the Electoral Commission Act, 51/1996
(sections 18–20). Under section 20 the Elector- https://www.livemint.com/Opinion/T0GsVnv-
al Court may review any IEC decision concerning JL7QOQB2iKM3pwI/Born-free-generation-can-
an electoral matter; consider an appeal against a shape-future-South-Africa-parliam.html
decision by the commission; investigate any alle- (C) ELECTION CALENDAR
gation of misconduct, incapacity or incompetence
of a member of the commission. Section 96 of 1. Last Elections Dates
the Electoral Act gives the court final jurisdiction 08 May 2019
in respect of all electoral disputes and complaints
about infringements of the code of conduct. 2. Future Election Calendar
May 2024

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