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Johannesburg - We're getting ready for the 2016 Municipal Elections. Are you? Find out more about how to register a party to contest elections at a municipal level, and how to contest elections and nominate candidates
Any party that wants to participate in an election must register with the Electoral Commission. You may choose to register at national level, which will allow your party to contest elections of the National Assembly, provincial legislatures and all municipal councils. However, you may choose to register only at municipal level for a particular municipality or municipalities, and your party will then only be allowed to contest municipal elections for those particular municipal councils stated in your registration application.
To register to contest elections in only a specific municipality or municipalities, you must submit:
• A completed application for registration (Annexure 1 of the Regulations);
• A copy of the party's constitution;
• A Deed of Foundation signed by 100* registered voters who support the founding of the party (Annexure 6 of the Regulations);
• Two sets of the party logo or symbol design in colour;
• R200 registration fee per municipality;
• A party applying for registration at Municipal level must place a Notice in a local newspaper (Annexure 2 of the Regulations) and must submit proof of such publication (hard copy of the newspaper page).
* Please note that Annexure 6 indicates that only 50 signatures are required, but a subsequent amendment (General Notice R151 in Government Gazette 34044 of 23 February 2011) changed this amount to 100 signatures.
For more info, see section 15A of the Act and Regulation 2, 3 and 4 of the Regulations (download the Act and Regulations in PDF format here).
Note: Registration at Local Council level does not automatically register the party for the District Council (DC) in which that Local Council falls. Parties wishing to contest a DC election must indicate such DC in its application.
During the election period, registered political parties are invited to submit candidate lists to the Electoral Commission. Parties draw up their lists of candidates after party list conferences or discussions within the party.
The Municipal Electoral Act sets rules for candidates and parties, including:
• PR candidates must be nominated by a registered party;
• Ward candidates must be nominated by a party registered in the municipality;
• If a party candidate is both a PR and a ward candidate, and wins in the ward, they must take up the ward seat;
• Parties and ward candidates must pay an amount of money as a deposit to stand – they lose this if they do not get 10% of votes in a ward;
• Political parties and candidates must meet the deadlines set in the election timetable when this is announced by the Electoral Commission. This happens when the election date is published in the Government Gazette.
So get ready to have your say in the 2016 Municipal Elections. Your vote is your voice, use it wisely.
