Home Affairs urges voters to get IDs before 4 November elections
Home Affairs is urging eligible voters without a valid identity document to apply or collect now, as only certain IDs will be accepted at voting stations on 4 November.
South Africans who plan to vote in the Local Government Elections on 4 November, but do not have a valid identity document, are being urged to sort it out now. According to SAnews, the Department of Home Affairs wants people to apply for or collect their documents as soon as they can rather than leave it to the last minute.
Which documents are accepted
Registered voters will only be able to cast a ballot if they present one of the following:
- a smart ID card
- a green barcoded ID book
- a valid temporary identity certificate
Other documents will not do. Driver’s licences, passports and student cards are not accepted for voting, and neither are photocopies of an ID.
People who have applied but never picked up their ID are also being asked to collect it.
Where to apply
Anyone who needs to replace a lost or damaged ID can go to a Home Affairs office or to one of more than 450 participating bank branches. Home Affairs also wants people who already hold a smart ID to nudge relatives, friends and colleagues who do not have one to apply now.
Home Affairs Minister Leon Schreiber said: “A valid ID holds the key to democratic participation in the upcoming elections.”
The department has been moving smart ID services into banks. In July, it widened its digital partnership with Absa, which included launching the first Home Affairs mobile unit based at a bank. Together with Home Affairs offices, there are now about 1 000 places where people can apply for a smart ID card. SAnews reported that this is roughly five times as many access points as two years ago.
Later this year, the partnership is due to cover adult and minor passport applications and first-time smart ID applications. The next major step will be delivering identity documents to people’s homes. Schreiber said the “Home Affairs @ home” initiative is meant to make it easier to swap the fraud-prone green barcoded ID book for the smart ID card.
What this means for you
- Election Day is 4 November, so check now that your ID is valid and in your hands.
- If your ID is lost or damaged, apply at a Home Affairs office or a participating bank branch.
- If you applied earlier, collect your ID before the election.
- Do not rely on a passport, driver’s licence, student card or photocopy at the voting station.
This story is based on reporting by SAnews.
