The Independent Electoral Commission has published the timetable for the 2024 National and Provincial Election which will take place on 29 May.

The publication of the timetable on Saturday follows President Cyril Ramaphosa’s proclamation of the date of the election on Friday, which also signaled the closure of the voters roll.

As expected, 29 May has also been declared a public holiday.

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The most important aspects of the election timetable includes the certification of the voters’ list, the publication of polling stations’ details, the submission of the nomination of candidates, and the submission of applications to vote abroad and to cast special votes.

Here is a rundown of some of the key dates:

• Notice of provisional voters’ roll available for Inspection: By 26 February 2024, the Chief Electoral Officer must give notice of the periods during which and the venues where the provisionally compiled voters’ roll compiled for the election shall be available for inspection.

• Notice that list of addresses of voting stations is available for inspection: The Chief Electoral Officer must give notice by 12 April 2024, that from the date of the notice until the voting day copies of a list containing the addresses of all voting stations will be available for inspection.

• Notice of route of mobile voting stations: The Chief Electoral Officer must give notice by 12 April 2024, of the route, including the locations and estimated times of stopping of each mobile voting station.

• Cut-off date for objections to the provisional voters’ roll: Any person, including the Chief Electoral Officer, may object to the inclusion or exclusion of a person on the provisional voters’ roll, or the correctness of any person’s registration details on that provisional voter’s roll, by 4 March 2024.

• Cut-off date for notification and application to vote outside of the Republic: By 22 April 2024, a person who intends to vote outside of the Republic is required to notify the Chief Electoral Officer of their intention to vote outside of the Republic.

• Cut–off date for the commission to decide on objections to the provisional voter’s roll: By 11 March 2024, the Commission must decide any objection made in terms of section 15 in respect of the provisionally compiled voters’ roll for this election and notify the objector and the chief electoral officer and a person other than the objector whose name or registration details are involved.

• Cut-off date for certification and publication of voters’ roll: By 12 March 2024, the chief electoral officer must certify the voters’ roll or the segments of the voters’ roll to be used in this election.

• Cut-off date for submission of list of candidates and nominations of independent candidates:

(a) Registered parties that intend to contest this election must nominate and submit a list of their candidates for the election to the chief electoral officer in the prescribed manner by 08 March 2024.

(b) Nominators of independent candidates that intend to contest this election must submit their nominations to the chief electoral officer in the prescribed manner by 08 March 2024.

• Cut-of date for notice of non-compliance by contestants in respect of lists of candidates:

(1)The chief electoral officer must notify a registered party that has submitted a list of candidates, but has not fully complied, of that non-compliance by 18 March 2024.

(1A) The chief electoral officer must notify the person nominated to be an independent candidate, who has not fully complied, of that non-compliance by 18 March 2024.

(2) If the party or person notified in terms of sub-item (1) or (1A) takes the opportunity to comply, that party or person must do so by 20 March 2024.

• Cut-off date for objections: Any person, including the chief electoral officer, may object to a candidate to the Commission in the prescribed manner by 27 March 2024.

• Application for special vote to Chief Electoral Officer: A person who wants to apply to the Chief Electoral Officer for a special vote may do so from 15 April 2024 until 03 May 2024.

• Issue of certificate to candidates: By 12 April 2024, the chief electoral officer must issue in the prescribed manner to each candidate on a final list of candidates, and to each independent candidate on the final list of independent candidates, a certificate stating that the person is a candidate in this election.

• Casting of votes at foreign missions: A person who wants to cast a special vote at a foreign mission may do so on 17 May 2024 and 18 May 2024, between 07:00 and 19:00.

• Visitation for the purposes of casting a special vote: A person who has applied for a special vote may be visited by voting officers on 27 May 2024 and 28 May 2024, between 09:00 and 17:00.

• Casting of special votes at the office of the presiding officer: A person whose application for a special vote has been approved and who wants to cast a special vote at the office of the presiding officer may do so on 27 May 2024 and 28 May 2024, between 09:00 and 17:00.

For more information and to apply for a special vote visit the IEC’s website.