One ballot box concerning

WHEN casting my vote on May 7, I was directed by an official to put both the national and provincial forms into one box, although there were eight boxes on the floor. Discussing this with a number of people afterwards, including an official, I discovered that this applied at some voting stations and not at others.

It appears the system used depends on the whim of the officer in charge of the polling station. This is nonsense. I telephoned the DA – for which I strangely voted – to be told polling booths should have two boxes, votes would count anyway and I should refer the matter to the IEC. In fact, they weren't interested.

Having to separate national and provincial voting papers before counting them, slows the release of results and leaves more possibilities of error. We are talking about cardboard boxes with a slit! No extra costs, just a felt pen!

My domestic worker voted in Motherwell where they had separate boxes. One wonders: incompetence or what?

RC K