By Nozipho Dlamini

The Electoral Commission (IEC) has confirmed that the second voter registration drive for the coming municipal elections will take place on 19 and 20 November 2005.

Chief Electoral Officer Pansy Tlakula said today approximately 19 000 voting stations countrywide would be open from 08:00 to 17:00 to enable first-time voters to register.

"This will also allow those voters who have changed address to re-register and voters who are already registered to confirm whether they are registered on the correct segment of the Voters' Roll," said Advocate Tlakula.

She said this would be the last registration weekend for voters to register, re-register or check their details at the voting station where they will be voting in the 2005/6 Municipal Elections.

"Voters who do not make use of this opportunity will have to go to the municipal electoral officer in their local municipality to register as voters," explained the advocate.

Registered voters who want to check whether they are registered or to find their voting station can call the IEC toll free on 0800 11 8000 between 08:00 and 17:00, send an SMS with their ID number to 32810 on all cell phone networks or visit www.elections.org.za and go to "Am I registered" or "Where do I register".

Meanwhile, the Voters' Roll now stands at 20 717 995 and is expected to increase during this second registration drive and as the IEC revisits voting districts that have been affected by the recent re-drawing of municipal boundaries during on 8 and 15 October.

Voter registration is also continuing at offices of municipal electoral officers countrywide.

This will continue until Provincial and Local Government Minister Sydney Mufamadi announces the voting date, and it is published in the Government Gazette.

To register, one would need a bar-coded identity document (ID) or a valid temporary identity certificate.

People can only vote in the voting district in which they live and people who have moved to new districts will need to re-register to be reflected in the voters' roll of that district.

The local government elections are different from the general elections in that they give South Africans a chance to choose people who will represent them at the local level.

Source: BuaNews