On election day South Africa faced significant voting disruptions due to a malfunction in the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) system.
Many voters were unable to cast their ballots as their names did not appear on the voter roll or their registered voting locations were changed unexpectedly. This issue led to widespread confusion and frustration.
The system slowdown caused long lines at various polling stations. Some voters stood in queues for hours only to leave without voting, driven away by the lengthy delays and uncertainty.
Citizens took to social media to express their anger and disappointment. Many voiced concerns about the integrity of the electoral process.
Taking to TikTok, user @_mvanoduma shared her frustration, stating that she couldn’t vote because her name appeared at a different voting station than the one she had chosen.
@_mvanoduma Couldn’t cast my vote because my name still appears in a different voting station even though I changed my station online. ? make me numb Nelson. ? #IEC #elections2024?? #eff ♬ original sound – A girl who couldn’t vote
Another user @nemoniksaid voiced his frustration, stating that people couldn’t vote because the lines were not moving at all. Some people lost hope, gave up, and went home.
@nemoniksaid IEC really let us down #ramaphosa #jacobzuma #juliusmalema #johnsteenhuisen #anc #mkparty #fyp #tiktoksouthafrica #trending ♬ original sound – Philani Mthembu
Here are comments from frustrated voters expressing their dissatisfaction with the voting process:
One user said: “They didn’t let me vote coz I’m registered in another area but I voted in the same voting station in 2019.”
Another one said: “I was in a queue for 4 hours straight, apparently they were offline.”
Also see: 5 Celebrities who endured long queues to vote
