MORE than 440 candidates from 40 political parties are set to contest the by-elections in 95 wards on November 11, 2020.

A total of 444 candidates - including 19 independent candidates - were certified as contestants for the by-elections by the Electoral Commission on Monday. Of the candidates, 305 (69%) are male and 139 (31%) are female.

In the Northern Cape, by-elections will be held in Hantam, Khâi-Ma, Ubuntu, Renosterberg, Kai !Garib, Tsantsabane, Dawid Kruiper and Phokwane municipalities.

This week also saw the opening of applications for special votes for the by-elections. In terms of the election timetable, voters have until 4pm on Friday, October 30 to apply to cast a special ballot. Special ballots are available via home visits to voters who are unable to travel to voting stations due to pregnancy, infirmity or disability. Voters who are unable to vote on election day (November 11) due to absence from their voting district may also apply to cast a special vote the day before the by-election.

Applications for special votes can also be made online via the IEC’s website, www.elections.org.za. Once voters have applied online they will receive an SMS notifying them of the outcome when their application has been processed. They can also check the status of their special vote application online at www.elections.org.za.

Voters can also apply for special votes via cellphone by SMSing their identity number to 32249 (charged at R1). The SMS application facility is only available for those applying to cast a special vote at their voting station and not for home visits.

The by-elections will be held under strict new Covid-19 protocols aimed at ensuring the safety of voters, election staff, party agents, observers and other stakeholders. These include implementing strict social distancing practices outside and inside voting stations along with the use of hand sanitisers as voters enter and exit the voting station.

Voters, election staff and all those entering the voting station will be required to wear a mask at all times. Voters are also encouraged to bring their own pens to mark their ballot papers, although pens will be provided and sanitised after each use.

For more information on these by-elections, voters can contact their local (municipal) IEC office weekdays during office hours. Contact details for all IEC offices are available on the IEC website at www.elections.org.za under Contact Us.

The full list of candidates contesting these by-elections can be found here.