Ballot box in uMhlatuze goes missing while in transit to local IEC office

The IEC says papers in the box had been counted, reconciled and validated

30 May 2024 - 22:12
By TimesLIVE
By law, the IEC needs to keep the counted ballots in storage for six months before disposing of them.
Image: BLOOMBERG/WALDO SWIEGERS By law, the IEC needs to keep the counted ballots in storage for six months before disposing of them.

The Electoral Commission on Thursday said it lost a ballot box which went missing while in transit from a voting station in uMhlathuze, to the municipal electoral office for storage. 

The IEC said the public need not fear that the votes had not been captured because the ballots in the box had been counted, reconciled and validated. 

By law, the IEC needs to store the counted ballots in storage for six months before disposing of them. 

The IEC appealed to people in and around Ward 14 in uMhlathuze to be on the lookout for the IEC-branded ballot box. 

“The IEC appeals to anyone who finds the ballot box to return it to us. Citizens are reminded that anyone found in possession of ballots is liable to criminal prosecution.”

TimesLIVE