Frustration and satisfaction on voting day

Frustration mounted in Glenhazel on the morning of 4 November when members of the Jewish community showed up at voting stations only to discover that there were no more ballot papers and they would have to wait in the sun. 

For many, what should have been a quick and straightforward trip to the polls turned into a lengthy and frustrating wait, with little indication of when more ballot papers would arrive. Some questioned how voting stations could run out of papers so early in the day. 

“When I arrived they said it would only take 10 to 15 minutes, and they have said that every 10 to 15 minutes, and it has been an hour and we have gotten no more information,” said one frustrated community member at Summerwood Primary School. 

“It’s been the longest 10 minutes of my life,” said another, at Glenhazel Primary School. 

It wasn’t just one but many voting stations in Jewish areas of Johannesburg that ran out of ballot papers and had to wait for more to be escorted by metro police. When they finally arrived, everyone was grateful finally to get out of the sun. 

Gabi Farber Cohen, youth liaison for the South African Jewish Board of Deputies (SAJBD), explained that when the ballot papers ran out in Glenhazel, no one could get hold of the elections area manager, making the process even longer. 

“The area manager then only delivered the PR [proportional representation] ballots and it was further delayed. The issue was the area manager for Glenhazel,” she said. “However, through the process I was impressed by the voting station staff really trying to do everything in their powers to get the ballot papers delivered. The presiding officers have really been on top form.” 

Many voters explained that they had come to vote at around 09:00 or 10:00 so that they could get on with the rest of their public holiday, but now that they would have to wait, they didn’t want to go home because the queue might be even longer later. 

Those who were at voting stations before the ballot papers ran out spoke highly of the efficiency they had experienced, with voting taking about 15 minutes from start to finish. 

SAJBD national director Wendy Kahn, who was an election observer at Jabula Recreation Centre in Sandringham, said she had never been so impressed by a presiding officer and her team. 

“There haven’t been the snaking queues we normally see and voting began at 07:00, without the system failures we have seen in the past,” she said. 

When the PR ballots ran out, they had immediately contacted the Independent Electoral Commission, as did the other voting centres in the area, Kahn said. “It took approximately 30 minutes for them to arrive. We heard the sirens of the police cars as they approached. It’s puzzling why sufficient ballot papers weren’t supplied as they know voter numbers. In saying that, people overall were understanding and calm. They quickly processed the backlog,” she said. 

In other areas, people were able to get their voting done, albeit after standing in long queues. 

“I came prepared with a large water bottle, a hat, lots of sunscreen, and a book so I am prepared,” said one Sandton voter who estimated that she would be waiting for about two hours. 

A voter in Greenside explained that she had had no issues with voting, but she did see that the ANC representatives present were being crowded by people asking questions about Johannesburg. 

Danielle Klaff, a DA candidate in Cape Town, said that although there were some hiccups, like the voter management device not working at some stations, people had come out in droves to vote. 

Many young voters around Johannesburg were excited not only to make their mark and hopefully make a difference to their city, but also to have the opportunity to speak to the different parties at their voting stations and maybe get some merchandise too. 

“If you don’t vote you can’t complain,” said one voter in his 20s. 

Similarly, a young Joburg artist explained that she wanted to vote because “Helen is an icon and I want to see her make Joburg better”.