Around 70% of eligible first-time voters aged 18 and 19 are not registered on South Africa’s voters’ roll as the country prepares for the local government elections on November 4. As South Africa marks the 50th anniversary of the 1976 Soweto Uprising on Tuesday, this weekend’s voter registration drive presents young people with an opportunity to honour that legacy by registering to vote. The Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) has dedicated the weekend to voter registration ahead of the polls.
This year's Youth Day commemoration comes at a critical moment. In just a few months, South Africans will cast their votes for the local government elections, where communities will choose the councillors tasked with shaping life at the grassroots level. Yet a significant majority of eligible first-time voters aged 18 and 19 remain unregistered.
The Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) has placed considerable hope in political parties to motivate young people to register during upcoming voter registration drives. Political parties, in turn, have launched familiar campaigns, often enlisting musicians, influencers and celebrities in an effort to attract the youth vote.
But attracting young people to political rallies is not the same as inspiring them to participate in democracy.
