South Africans with special permission to vote early began casting their ballots on Monday, ahead of the main elections on Wednesday.
Residents at retirement homes eagerly cast their special ballots, avoiding the long queues anticipated on election day. The special voting process is designed for registered voters unable to travel to polling stations due to physical challenges such as disability, pregnancy, or advanced age.
Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) staff visited elderly voters at their homes, assisting them in exercising their right to vote and explaining the process.
This election will gauge the nation’s sentiment towards the ruling African National Congress (ANC), which has been in power since the end of apartheid 30 years ago. On Wednesday, voters across all nine provinces will decide the makeup of both the national and provincial legislatures.
With nearly 28 million of the 62 million population registered to vote, this marks only the seventh fully democratic national election since apartheid’s end. Results are expected within days.