Election results could be delayed due to claims of double voting

The announcement of the final election result could be delayed as the Electoral Commission of SA (IEC) looks into allegations of double voting and conducts new audits of several voting stations.

The final results were due to be announced on Saturday.

The DA’s James Selfe said his party had called for 15 voting stations to go through this process, and that the EFF had also raised the same issue.

The new audits can only be done once the initial counting and results are handed over to the IEC and placed on the national system.

Commissioner Janet Love said the IEC had thus far only received two reports of allegations of double voting, and had asked parties to come forward with detailed information.

“We would like [the allegations] to be as specific as possible. To say that something is possible, or look at it on social media does not give us enough to chew on,” she said.

Love said the commission wanted the allegations to be properly investigated.

“This is not something an individual does by accident. We definitely want to deal with people. It is a huge slap in the face of South African citizens.”

Reports started surfacing on Wednesday that the ink used to mark those who had voted was easy to wash off, that ID scanners at some voting stations had malfunctioned, and that some people were going from station to station, casting more than one ballot and bragging about it on social media.

The IEC is expected to brief the media on Thursday afternoon where the matter is likely to be dealt with.