Home Affairs urges voters to collect IDs ahead of November local elections

The Department of Home Affairs has urged South Africans who are eligible to vote but still need identity documents to apply for, replace or collect their IDs ahead of the Local Government Elections on 4 November.

What the department is asking voters to do

The department said a valid identity document is essential for democratic participation and encouraged citizens to make use of expanded services to apply for and collect their documents.

Home Affairs said a valid ID is necessary to vote in the 4 November local elections and urged South Africans to apply for or collect ID documents as soon as possible. The department said it has extended operating hours and rolled out Smart ID services at more than 450 participating bank branches to make it easier for people to apply for and collect documents ahead of the deadline.

The department called on citizens who need to replace lost or damaged identity documents to use Home Affairs offices or any of the participating bank branches, and warned people not to leave the process until the last minute.

Where to get ID documents

Voters can use Home Affairs offices and more than 450 participating bank branches that now offer digitalised Smart ID services. Residents can visit the Department of Home Affairs’ online portal to find the nearest participating bank branch.

Uncollected IDs and outreach

The department has previously extended operating hours and run collection drives to reduce the number of uncollected identity documents in circulation, and it encouraged people who already have IDs to remind family, friends and colleagues to apply and collect theirs.

About the source

This article was edited to remove direct quotations that did not appear in the original reporting sources and to replace them with neutral paraphrases attributed to the Department of Home Affairs and reporting by The Citizen/IOL.

Source cited in original draft: The Citizen.