SOUTH AFRICA - HOW TO REGISTER AND BE ELIGIBLE TO VOTE IN THE LOCAL ELECTIONS 2016

To vote in the elections, you have to be registered as a voter. You only have to register once, unless you move within South Africa or your voting district boundaries change, then you need to re-register.

South Africans who are at least 16 years old can register, but you can only vote from the age of 18 and must have a green, bar-coded ID book, a smartcard ID or valid Temporary Identity Certificate (TIC).

If you have not registered before, you will need to register at an IEC office and will need to make an appointment during office hours at the local IEC office in your voting area. You must phone and make an appointment.

You are required to apply in person and no online or e-mail registrations are permitted. You will need to take your green, bar-coded ID book, smartcard ID or valid TIC. No other forms of ID will be accepted, and only original documents are allowed.

You will be required to fill in an application form and your identity document will be scanned. A barcoded sticker is pasted into your ID book or on your valid TIC. If you have a smartcard ID, the sticker will be pasted on a special form that will be given to you.

It must be noted that completing the form and receiving a bar-coded sticker or receipt does not mean that you are registered, it only means that you have applied for registration. Your application must still be processed, which may take up to seven working days.

During municipal elections and by-elections, you have to vote at the voting station where you are registered, so it is important to re-register whenever you move or your voting district boundaries change; or the IEC informs voters that the voting district boundaries have changed.

If you need to check your registration details, you can send an SMS with your ID number to 32810 which costs R1 per SMS; or you can download the IEC mobile app and enter your ID number. You can also check your registration details online or check at your voting station during a registration weekend; or check at your local IEC office during office hours.