South Africa votes in fourth general elections since apartheid
April 22nd, 2009 - 12:28 pm ICT by IANSJohannesburg, April 22 (DPA) South Africans began voting Wednesday in the country’s fourth general elections since the end of apartheid.
A little over 23 million people are registered to vote in elections to the 400-seat National Assembly and nine provincial legislatures, 2.4 million more than in the 2004 elections.
The emergence of a new party, the Congress of the People (COPE), from a split in the ANC last year has made these the most exciting since the first euphoric multi-racial elections in 1994.
The ANC, which enjoys a high degree of loyalty among the black majority, is expected to easily win the election but could see its more-than-two-thirds majority reduced.
A poll conducted among 3,531 respondents in late February and early March gave the ANC 67 percent, against 13 percent for the official opposition Democratic Alliance and 11 percent for COPE. One in ten voters was still undecided. The margin of error was 0.72 percent and 1.66 percent.
Voting got underway at 19,726 polling stations nationwide at 7 a.m. and was due to close at 9 p.m.
Thousands of expatriate South Africans already cast their ballot last week.
Final results are not expected for two days.
South Africa has a proportional representation system, which means voters vote for a party rather than a candidate. Seats in parliament are then distributed according to each party’s tally. Parliament then sits to elect the president.
- Voting underway in South Africa's fourth democratic poll (Lead) - Apr 22, 2009
- South African election begins with overseas vote - Apr 15, 2009
- 57 percent turnout estimated in UP poll's fourth phase (Evening Lead) - Feb 19, 2012
- South African election begins with overseas vote (Lead) - Apr 15, 2009
- ANC gets two-thirds of vote in South Africa elections (Lead) - Apr 24, 2009
- Stampede to vote sparks ballot shortage in South Africa (Lead) - Apr 23, 2009
- Millions vote in by-polls in six states (Roundup) - Nov 30, 2011
- Zuma's ANC wins fourth straight term with reduced majority (Lead) - Apr 26, 2009
- Over 85 percent turnout in Bengal's peaceful phase two polling (Intro Roundup) - Apr 23, 2011
- Hung assembly, Samajwadi Party to be largest party: Exit polls (Lead) - Mar 03, 2012
- Long queues in round two of Bengal polls (Lead) - Apr 23, 2011
- Punjab, Uttarakhand register record polling (Roundup) - Jan 31, 2012
- UP polls' fourth phase also sees high turnout, peaceful balloting (Night Lead) - Feb 19, 2012
- 75 percent voting in Goa (Fourth Lead) - Mar 03, 2012
- Polling brisk and peaceful in Bengal (Fourth Lead) - Apr 23, 2011
Tags: 2004 elections, anc, democratic alliance, dpa, emergence, end of apartheid, general elections, johannesburg, loyalty, margin of error, national assembly, official opposition, parliament, polling stations, proportional representation system, provincial legislatures, respondents, south africans, tally, two thirds
