South Africa’s Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) said on Thursday it will urgently conduct an audit of results and votes in a sample of voting stations to ascertain if double voting occurred in this week’s general elections.
The audit will cover a statistically representative sample of voting stations as well as all voting stations where complaints or allegations of double voting have been received, the IEC said.
The final number and selection of the sample will be determined in conjunction with expert statisticians, said the commission.
The audit will involve the capture of information showing the ID numbers of voters who cast votes at each voting station from the “zip-zip” scanners and completed ballot forms, according to the commission.
This data will then be cross-referenced and compared to identify any instances of multiple voting to help establish scientifically whether such instances were isolated or systemic and what the material impact is, if any, to the results, the commission said.
This came after two separate instances were brought to the attention of the IEC in which some voters allegedly cast more than one vote at different voting stations in the national and provincial elections that took place on Wednesday.
On Wednesday, South African voters headed to the polls to elect a new National Assembly and provincial legislatures in each province. The elections will also determine who will become the next president.
The IEC earlier assured the nation of the overall integrity of the elections despite the alleged instances of double voting.
The ruling African National Congress appears to be headed toward victory and should retain the presidency as well as a majority of legislative seats. But the Democratic Alliance and Economic Freedom Fighters, the two leading opposition parties are expected to make gains.
By 0600 GMT, 75.6 percent of ballots in 22,925 voting districts had been counted, showing the ANC to be in the lead with 57.21 percent, while the main opposition Democratic Alliance (DA) was on 21.81 percent and the leftist Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) had garnered 10 percent.
At the last election in 2014, the ANC won 62 percent of votes, the DA 22 percent and the EFF 6 percent.
As required by law, the IEC has seven days to announce the results of the elections.
The IEC said it is confident the auditing will be completed in time to provide assurance of the integrity of the results within this period.
The commission said it will only announce the results when it is 100-percent confident in the integrity and legitimacy of those results.
