Johannesburg, 21/09/2023 -(MAP)- The South African Electoral Commission (IEC) has expressed concern over the downward trend in voter turnout in previous elections and its impact on the upcoming general elections scheduled in 2024.
“It is in our interest that turnout remains high,” said IEC deputy elections director, Masego Sheburi, warning that falling turnout in the next poll was a major cause for concern for the country’s authorities.
In local elections held in 2021, turnout was just 46.5%, the lowest since the country’s first democratic elections in 1994 at the end of apartheid rule.
According to CEI figures, out of a total of 26.2 million registered voters, only 12.2 million actually voted in the municipal elections.
Mr. Sheburi highlighted the Commission’s intention to intensify its outreach efforts ahead of the upcoming elections, with a focus on voter education and voter registration.
