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1 – This is the first time that Google has devoted a Doodle to the South African elections.
2 – The number of ballot papers as each voter will vote for a party on the national ballot and for a party on the provincial ballot.
5 – This is the fifth racially inclusive election. The first one was held on April 27 1994. The date is now a public holiday and is called Freedom Day.
16 – The number of parties that will be contesting for seats only on the provincial ballot paper, not the national ballot paper.
18 – This is the minimum age to be registered as a voter. These voters are called “Born Frees” as they never experienced apartheid. The Apartheid Museum in Johannesburg chronicles what apartheid meant in everyday life, as the races were segregated with beaches for instance reserved only for “Whites”, while other beaches were reserved for “Non-whites”.
29 – The number of parties that will be contesting the national election. The Vryheids Front Plus (VF Plus) won the toss to appear first on the ballot paper, while the United Democratic Movement (UDM) is last. The election board monitor at the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) will only display the party’s abbreviation, its logo and the number of votes won.
25.3 million – is the number of registered voters, which is less than half the estimated population of 53 million. Only South African citizens above the age of 18 years can register.
52.98 million- is the population of South Africa in 2013.
77.3% – was the percentage of registered voters who actually voted in the last election in 2009. Seat allocation in the 400-member Parliament is based on the number of actual votes, not on the number of registered voters.
22,264 – The number of polling stations. Polling stations will be open from 7am to 9pm.
Further Reading: South Africa votes 20 years after apartheid
Helmo Preuss in Pretoria, South Africa for The BRICS Post
