Online overseas voter registration is now available for the 2024 election!
This means that for the first time ever, South Africans who live overseas will be able to register online to be on the voters’ roll.
Previously this was only possible by visiting a South African diplomatic mission in your country on certain weekends, which is often far away and expensive to access.
How to register to vote abroad
- First, to verify if you are already registered and where, please check your current registration status via https://www.check.da.org.za/ or https://www.elections.org.za/pw/voter/voter-information/. If you are still registered back in South Africa, you should update it to your preferred mission overseas.
- Then, register online via the IEC’s overseas election portal!
If this is your first time registering, you can register to vote at your preferred South African diplomatic mission via the IEC’s portal. For example, if you just turned 18 and are studying in the Netherlands, you can register to vote at the South African embassy in The Hague.
If you are already registered to vote in South Africa but now live abroad, you should update your registration to your preferred diplomatic mission via the IEC’s portal. For example, you used to live in Johannesburg but have relocated permanently to the UK. You should re-register to vote at the South African high commission in London.
You may also register in person at your nearest embassy or diplomatic mission during the weekend of 26/27 or 27/28 January 2024. Please confirm with your mission which dates are applicable.
If you currently live in South Africa but are out of the country while the election takes place, you can request a special vote abroad to still take part in the election while you are overseas. For example, you are visiting family in Toronto, Canada while the election takes place and you would like to vote there. You will need to complete an online form to cast a special vote abroad, which becomes available only after the election has been announced, so you cannot do this right now. However, be sure to sign up to our e-newsletter and follow us on Facebook, Instagram and X so we can let you know the latest about registration and overseas voting, including when and how to fill out this form.
- In order to register to vote abroad you only need an ID (a valid, green, bar-coded ID book; temporary ID; or smart ID card). However, you will need an ID AND a valid South African passport in order to vote on election day. We know this can be frustrating, but if you don’t have them, we can help:
Check out our FAQ for advice on how to apply for documents at overseas missions;
However, if you are travelling to South Africa between now and February, try and apply there – current turnaround times are between 5 and 10 days;
Alternatively, send us an email and we can help you navigate and escalate this as needed. Please do not be disheartened if you need to replace your ID or passport, this can be done.
If you are experiencing difficulties while trying to register, please see our guide on how to use the IEC’s portal here.
If you have any other questions about the IEC’s portal and the election in general, please consult the FAQ section at the bottom of the page.
- You are done! You can now show up at the voting station on election day, no other steps are required.
Experts and opinion polls are all in agreement: next year, the ANC will likely drop below 50% and lose power.
Every single vote counts. Each and every person can make a difference for the future of our country.
In this election your vote has the power to finally defeat the ANC and give South Africa the fresh start it so desperately needs. Be part of this historic mission to rescue South Africa by registering to vote.
Where can I vote?
In 2019 the IEC made 125 voting stations available around the world, which were placed in all South African embassies, high commissions and consulate-generals. The law currently states that South Africans can only vote at official South African foreign missions as designated by the Department for International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO).
Unfortunately, this means that there are many locations with significant amounts of South African citizens that get excluded. For example, in the UK you would currently only be able to vote in London, and in Australia only in Canberra.
In light of this, the DA and DA Abroad are pressuring DIRCO to designate temporary foreign missions in locations where there are a substantial number of South Africans. We are doing this through a petition – click here to sign it.
It is for this reason that it is so important that you register, regardless of whether you live far away from your nearest foreign mission. This is because the more people that register abroad and sign our petition, the better our chances are of getting a voting station in your city.
So even if you don’t live in London or Canberra or Toronto, but live in Auckland or Perth or Vancouver, please make sure you register online and sign our petition: it could mean a voting station near you!
In order to achieve our objective of 200 thousand registrations abroad, we need every single South African abroad to consider their registration status. You cannot vote overseas if you are not registered overseas!
- Check your current registration status at https://www.elections.org.za/pw/Voter/Voter-Information
Still registered in South Africa? Update it to your nearest mission, even if it is too far away, too costly to get to or there is no mission in your country. - Register to vote from abroad via https://online.elections.org.za/voterportal/voter/registration/abroad
Once done, you can just show up at the voting station with your documents, no other steps required🗳 - Make sure your friends and family overseas also check and update their registration. When all South Africans abroad are registered at a mission overseas, we are able to make a real difference for our country!
DA Abroad(China) I About DA Abroad(China) I Intro & Objectives I Register to Vote! I Become a Member I DA Abroad(China) Links I Contact DA Abroad(China)