“Elections are never perfect,” says IEC after losing at the ballot box

IEC general manager Granville Abrahams briefed the media at the National Results Operations Centre on Thursday evening. (Jean Gerber/News24)

• The IEC lost the ballot box in KwaZulu-Natal.
• Results are known in just over 55% of precincts, putting voter turnout at 58.69%, but this is expected to rise as results from metropolitan areas are in.
• Everything you need to know about the 2024 general election on News24 Election Hub.

The South African Electoral Commission (IEC) is continuing its operations during the election period despite one of the approximately 100,000 ballot boxes going missing.

IEC general manager Granville Abrahams told a press conference on Thursday night that the ballot boxes had gone missing in Umhlathuze, KwaZulu-Natal.

The ballot boxes were being transported in an open car and went missing when they were being taken from the polling station at Matamzana Dube School in Umhlatuze to the city electoral office for safekeeping.

The ballots in the ballot box have been counted, reconciled and captured, meaning the votes in that ballot box will be included in the results.

But the IEC is seeking the boxes because it is required by law to keep them for six months.

“We are obviously pursuing this case on our own initiative.

“First of all, this is inexcusable and it's not something we expect to find meaningless election materials lying around somewhere, whether they're meaningful or not,” Abraham said.

“I have emphasised in this matter that the votes in the ballot boxes have been counted and recorded in the ballot slip.”

He said he doesn't believe this was a case of negligence.

“But to put it in context, we have just under 23,000 constituencies and there were probably more than three ballot boxes in this election. [per voting district]So that's over 100,000 ballot boxes. I'm not going to make excuses, but we're talking about one ballot box here.

“And given the fact that elections are never perfect, I don't think it can be considered an error under the circumstances.”

By 8pm on Thursday, 55.65% of votes had been counted and tallied.

Abrahams said 80% approval ratings are typically reached around 24 hours after the polls close on election day.

He said he expected some delays because this is the first year that three ballots will be used in eight metropolitan areas that account for more than 55% of voters.

“Many of the stations where queues formed had late closing times which had a knock-on effect on the tally,” Mr Abrahams said.

“Some of the smaller municipalities have completed their evacuation, packed their belongings and returned home, which is a positive sign.”

Abrahams said the turnout was 58.69 percent out of 55.65 percent of votes counted.

“So while the bigger broadcasters have yet to come in, it remains just below 60 percent.”

Read | 2024 Election: Turnout exceeds 2019 forecast of 66% as queues and troubles do not deter voters

“We are still waiting for the vote,” Chief Electoral Officer Si Mamabolo said at 8pm on Wednesday night, as queues still formed around polling stations.

Abraham said the 55% already counted constitutes a percentage of the voting precincts, not 55% of the overall result.

“And the voting districts that are included are smaller, closer together and likely more rural.”

He said the figures could still change significantly as votes from larger constituencies, especially in metropolitan areas, are up for grabs.

“Until we have all the numbers in, we won't know what the overall results will be.”

Meanwhile, the Government Communications and Information System (GCIS) released a statement on Thursday night, noting that the counting and verification process is ongoing and urging the public to be patient.

“Vote counting is a rigorous process involving various checks and balances by the IEC. The time it takes to count depends on various factors, including the number of votes cast and the number of parties contesting the vote,” the statement said.

“The IEC is transparent about how results are collected and verified to ensure the integrity of the electoral process is not compromised. Results are audited by independent auditors and then made public in a results system for political parties, observers and the media.”

GCIS, like the IEC, noted that election results are required by law to be announced within seven days of the election.

“The government reminds South Africans that the only institution with the legal authority to announce the election results is the IEC. No other institution, analyst, party or commentator has the legal authority to communicate the final outcome. We urge all stakeholders to be careful not to announce the election results prematurely,” the statement said.

“The announcement of the election results by the IEC is a statutory requirement that officially concludes the election. The process then moves to the National Assembly.”