The Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) is ready for next year’s election but challenges remain.
This was the message that emerged from a webinar hosted by the Institute of Race Relations (IRR) yesterday.
The webinar’s speaker was elections expert, Michael Atkins, who had been commission by the IRR to assess how ready the IEC was for next year’s election.
Atkins noted that the IEC faces a number of challenges ahead of next year’s election, including funding constraints and a new electoral system. This is in a global context where democracy itself faces challenges from disputed election results to disinformation.
He said that the fact that there will be a third ballot in next year’s election could see the announcement of election results later than the now customary three days (voters will receive two national ballots, rather than one, because of changes to the electoral system which now allows independents to contest national and provincial elections).
Despite these challenges, he noted that there are a number of proactive steps that political parties, the media, and civil society organisations could take to help protect the sanctity of South African elections.
Atkins also noted that the IEC had managed difficult elections in the past and could do so again, saying that the Commission remained a competent, well-run organisation. However, if there are any new budget cuts, he said that the most likely consequence would be the cancellation of the second voter registration weekend, scheduled for February 2024.
Atkins concluded that while the IEC will in all likelihood be ready for next year’s election, it still faces challenges, particularly if there are delays, or more objections to published results than normal. These concerns can be mitigated by the IEC being responsive and open regarding queries and disputes, to ensure it retains the trust of the public.
Atkins’s paper, How Ready Will We Be For the 2024 Elections?,can be read here and the webinar watched here.