The inclusion of independent candidates on the ballot papers for next year’s elections is presenting the Electoral Commission (IEC) with a new headache, as it fears the changes could potentially lead to countless spoilt votes.
For the first time, ballot papers will bear not only the names and logos of political parties, but also the faces and names of independent candidates standing for the National Assembly and the country's provincial legislatures.
This, says IEC chief electoral officer Sy Mamabolo, means the electoral body will have to change the look of the ballot papers used since the first democratic elections in 1994.
Each voter will receive three ballot papers: two for the National Assembly, and one for the relevant provincial legislature. The first national ballot will allow candidates from the provinces to be elected to the national legislature. This ballot will include both parties and independents. The second national ballot will contain only political parties. The provincial ballot will have both independent candidates and parties.
The Constitutional Court is yet to rule on the thresholds for independent candidates and the qualifying criteria. Some organisations, including Build One South Africa, want the court to reduce the requirement that political parties and independents obtain between 11,000 and 14,000 signatures to contest the national elections. The outcome of that case will determine the number of parties and independents that make it onto the ballot.
The current ballot paper has space for at least 48 contestants, but the addition of independent candidates means this number will increase.
Accordingly, the IEC will likely have to introduce a wider ballot paper with space for two columns, to accommodate the additional contestants.
This is if the number of contestants, including political parties and independents, does not exceed 96.
A worst-case scenario involving more than 96 contestants, Mamabolo says, would mean the IEC would have to consider introducing a two-page ballot.
All of this, he says, is likely to be confusing for voters, and could lead to countless spoilt ballot papers.
As soon as the number of qualifying contestants is confirmed, the IEC will use the limited time it has before the elections to run training sessions on what the ballots look like and how to use them without spoiling the vote.
You can never discount the fact that the configuration of the ballot either into pages or into columns can lead to spoils
— Sy Mamabolo, IEC chief electoral officer
“The issue around ballots is the size of the ballot papers themselves.
“We don't know how many independent candidates are going to stand, but what we are certain about is that, should the number of contestants go beyond 48 on the national ballot, then it means for the first time we will [have to introduce] a two-column ballot paper where there's one set of parties on the right and another set of parties on the left, with a divider in between. If that materialises ... we’ve got to communicate that well with members of the public, so that people don't unwittingly ... spoil their ballots.”
Mamabolo was speaking to the Sunday Times at the IEC's offices in Centurion ahead of the voter-registration drive weekend.
President Cyril Ramaphosa is yet to declare the elections date, but according to the IEC time frame they have to be held between mid-May and mid-August next year.
The IEC working sketch for next year’s ballot includes a wider ballot paper with two columns divided by a thick visible border.
Though there will be two columns, the voter has to make his or her mark only on a single side. Marking on both sides will lead to a spoilt ballot.
The ballot paper will feature the faces of independent candidates among the logos of political parties. The voter will opt for a political party or an independent, but not both.
“If you go beyond 48 [candidates or parties], it is a two-column ballot. If you go beyond 96 ... we are already talking [about] a two-page ballot,” said Mamabolo.
“So you can never discount the fact that the configuration of the ballot either into pages or into columns can lead to spoils. You’ve got to pull out all the stops to ensure you inform people and minimise people making mistakes because of the nature and configuration of the ballot paper.”
A spoilt ballot means the vote will not be counted, and Mamabolo says the IEC will have to work hard to reduce the harm of this potential disaster that could affect thousands of people.
Because the IEC does not know how many political parties and independents will meet the criteria to be on the ballot, it cannot start voter education now.
Though the IEC register has more than 500 parties on it, not all of them will qualify to contest the elections, says Mamabolo.
There are steps each party, and now independents, have to complete to meet the criteria.
These include paying a deposit of R300,000 for a political party and R45,000 for an independent candidate to stand for the National Assembly, or stumping up R25,000 to run as an independent at the provincial level.
These requirements are before the National Assembly.
Another issue facing the IEC is South African voter apathy.
The voter turnout has dropped drastically in recent years, meaning fewer people are casting their votes on election day.
IEC research has found that voter despondency, most prevalent in the 20-29 age cohort, is a result of citizens being unhappy with the performance of politicians and political parties.
Mamabolo said the IEC was now targeting those aged 20-29 in its registration drive.
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