Question NW91 to the Minister of Home Affairs
25 February 2019 - NW91
Hoosen, Mr MH to ask the Minister of Home Affairs
(a) At which voting stations were extra ballot (i) papers and (ii) books requested due to too few ballots being available for the number of voters on the voters’ roll during the 2016 Local Government Elections and (b) what are the full relevant details in each case?
Reply:
A0 (i) and (ii)
During 2016 local government elections, reports of shortages of ballot papers and or books were recorded in at least 17 voting stations.
b) The applicable ballot provisioning in 2016 was based on an allocation of 100% of registered voters which also included a buffer allocation (as a consequence of rounding up of the number of ballots to the next 100 because books are printed in packs of 100). Voter turnout in 2016 was 58%. Shortages can therefore not be attributed to ballot printing shortages. The Electoral Commission is looking at additional ballot tracking mechanisms that will enable real time monitoring of ballot papers to obviate reports and perceptions of ballot shortages.