Getting South Africans excited about voting in next year’s crucial national election is one of the key objectives of a new #PledgeToVote initiative launched by the Institute of Race Relations (IRR)
Announcing the initiative, the IRR points out in a statement that South Africa’s most recent election, the 2021 Local Government Election, ‘signalled a warning about the condition of our democracy in the continuing decline of voter turnout: just 12 million people – only 46% of registered voters – cast their ballot’.
The new initiative is aimed at countering this trend and strengthening South Africa’s democracy by encouraging citizens to participate in 2024 Election.
In the face of livelihood-threatening load-shedding, growing dissatisfaction over poor service delivery, and sparse job opportunities, the need for citizens to get involved in and excited about the country’s prospects has never been greater.
Says #PledgeToVote Campaign Manager Alex Weiss: ‘We’ve created a platform to get South Africans excited about voting and encourage one another to participate in deciding the future of South Africa. We want people to commit to the simple act of voting and keep them engaged all the way to the ballot box.’
The IRR points out that, while the ANC has dominated every election since 1994, polling indicates that it will likely get less than 50% percent of the vote in 2024.
‘This will tilt the country towards more competitive politics, making the next ballot the most exciting the country has seen in 30 years.’
The #PledgeToVote campaign aims at getting South Africans ‘to take the first vital step in getting involved in their democracy, by simply voting –the most valuable and nonviolent means of public participation and representation in politics’.