Still uncertain about the 3 ballot papers? Here's what you need to know

Pippa Hudson interviews Melanie Verwoerd, Political Analyst.

Listen below.

In anticipation of the elections on 29 May, there has been some uncertainty regarding the introduction of three ballot papers for the first time ever.

The primary reason behind this alteration stemmed from the enactment of the Electoral Amendment Act in April 2023.

This legislation permits independent candidates to participate in both national and provincial elections.

Eligible voters will be given three separate ballot papers to cast their votes for candidates vying for positions in both the National Assembly and Provincial Legislatures.

These papers include:

NATIONAL BALLOT:

This will entail parties vying for 200 seats in the National Assembly.

REGIONAL OR PROVINCE-TO-NATIONAL BALLOT:

Voters will use this ballot to elect a political party or an independent candidate to advocate for them in the National Assembly, with variations across provinces.

PROVINCIAL BALLOT:

Distinctive to each province, it encompasses parties and independent candidates contending for seats in their respective provincial legislatures.

Verwoerd points out that voters aren't obligated to select the same parties on all three ballots; instead, they have greater flexibility and autonomy, with a wider range of choices available to them.

"You can 'play' with your ballots. You've got three ballots now and you can vote differently on everyone of them."

- Melanie Verwoerd, Political Analyst

Scroll up to the audio player to listen to the interview.