By Hope Ntanzi
On Wednesday, more than 27 million people cast their ballots in the general and national elections. Additionally, roughly 1.6 million people who had registered to vote in special elections had the chance to cast ballots on Monday and Tuesday.
As South Africa eagerly awaits the outcome of the May 29 poll, the Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) has embarked on a meticulous process of collecting, verifying and tallying votes from across the nation.
Emerging results from South Africa's seventh democratic national and provincial elections indicate a higher turnout than in the 2019 poll, according to the electoral agency.
The IEC is tasked with overseeing free and fair elections, which plays a vital role in ensuring the democratic process runs smoothly.
In the past, the IEC has made an effort to provide accurate and timely results, striking a balance between the urgency of making announcements and the careful verification processes required to preserve the integrity of the voting process.
According to the IEC’S deputy chief electoral officer Masego Sheburi, the commission has always released the results on the forth day following the close of voting stations. Sheburi said they accept that the additional third ballot to accommodate independent candidates has added to their workload, and possible further delays.
The IEC has asserted that final results can be expected by Sunday, June 2.
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