Call for Public Comment on the Electoral Matters Amendment Bill

The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) calls on all South Africans to submit comments on the draft Electoral Matters Amendment Bill, introduced in Parliament by the President and Commander-in-Chief of the EFF, Julius Sello Malema. The Bill seeks to introduce Automatic Voter Registration (AVR), ensuring that young people are automatically captured in the voters’ roll from the age of 16 without having to go through lengthy registration processes.

The Electoral Matters Amendment Bill seeks to address one of the biggest obstacles to democratic participation in South Africa, the exclusion of millions of eligible voters, particularly young people, from the electoral process. This exclusion is driven by burdensome voter registration requirements, inadequate voter education, and the failure of the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) to ensure that all eligible citizens are easily incorporated into the voters’ roll.

Under the current system, young people must take the initiative to register themselves through registration weekends, voting stations or online platforms. This places an unnecessary burden on citizens and has contributed to declining voter registration and participation, especially among the youth and working-class communities. The Bill proposes a simple and practical solution. By using existing population data held by the state, eligible citizens will automatically be added to the voters’ roll when they reach voting age. This will reduce barriers to participation, improve the accuracy of voter information and ensure that more South Africans are able to exercise their constitutional right to vote.

The EFF believes that democracy is strongest when all people are able to participate in it. Young people, in particular, must not be locked out of the democratic process because of administrative obstacles and an outdated registration system. Expanding participation in elections is critical to building a more representative, accountable and inclusive democracy.

The EFF therefore calls on youth formations, civil society organisations, progressive political parties, academics, electoral experts, community organisations and all South Africans to make written submissions on the Electoral Matters Amendment Bill before the closing date of 19 July 2026.

The EFF supports the establishment of a universal basic income grant.

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