IEC Clarifies Election Results Dashboard Update

The Electoral Act mandates that for the calculation of compensatory seats, both national compensatory (N) ballots and regional (R) ballots must be considered.

The Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) has addressed any confusion surrounding the recent update to its results dashboard for the National and Provincial Elections held last month.

"The Electoral Commission notes the conversation and some confusion with the update of the Elections Dashboard last week to reflect the total number of votes from the two National Assembly ballots and final seat allocation (out of 400 seats) for the 2024 National and Provincial Elections," the IEC stated.

Dashboard Update Explained

The update was made to accurately reflect the "regional strength" of political parties, ensuring a fair representation. In the 2024 elections, voters received two ballots for the National Assembly elections: one National ballot and one Regional ballot. A third ballot was for the provincial elections. With over 16 million registered voters participating, approximately 31.92 million ballots were cast across the nine regional and one national ballot.

Importance of Regional Strength

The Electoral Act mandates that for the calculation of compensatory seats, both national compensatory (N) ballots and regional (R) ballots must be considered. The results dashboard now shows N + R to reflect this requirement.

"This is done to ensure that the allocation of compensatory seats takes into account the regional strength of all political parties - thus, meeting the proportional representation in general demanded by the constitution," the IEC explained.

Key Points:

Voter Participation: Over 16 million registered voters, casting 31.92 million ballots.

Two National Assembly Ballots: One National and one Regional.

Third Ballot: For provincial elections.

Compensatory Seats Calculation: Both N and R ballots are used.

Results Dashboard Update: Reflects N + R to ensure proportional representation.

The IEC's clarification aims to ensure transparency and uphold the principles of proportional representation as prescribed by the South African constitution.