Nelspruit2019 vs 2014: What the numbers tell us… – Nelspruit https://showme.co.za/nelspruit Nelspruit, South Africa for all your local and tourism information; from accommodation to events, entertainment, attractions and news - ShowMe Nelspruit | T Feed Tue, 26 Mar 2024 08:45:05 +0000 hourly 1 https://showme.co.za/nelspruit/?p=73402 2019 vs 2014: What the numbers tell us… https://showme.co.za/nelspruit/news/2019-vs-2014-what-the-numbers-tell-us/ Mon, 13 May 2019 08:39:17 +0000 How have things changed in the political World in South Africa....]]> Article by:

Election season has come and gone … well, almost. There’s still the inauguration of a president – we now know that to be Cyril Ramaphosa – and the announcement of a new Cabinet. After that we’ll see the opening of South Africa’s sixth parliamentary term since those historic first democratic elections in 1994.

But before we get to those processes over the next few weeks, it’s worth understanding what the numbers tell us about the latest election and the course the results will chart for the country over the the next five years.

Let’s start with the high-level numbers of the 2019 polls.

How many people were eventually registered and eligible to vote?

  • 26 779 025
  • In 2014, 25 388 082 were registered to vote.
  • That’s an increase of 5.48% in the number of people who are eligible to vote.

So, did more people vote in this elections?

  • The short answer is no.
  • While more people were registered to vote in the 2019 elections, 983 155 fewer people actually voted this year.
  • In 2014, 18 654 771 people voted, while “only” 17 671 616 voters cast their ballot this time around.
  • This ultimately means the voter turnout dropped from 73.48% in 2014 to 65.99% this year.

Were more votes spoilt this year if there are suggestions of voter apathy?

  • While the real number of spoilt votes remains high at 235 472 of all national ballots cast in 2019, more votes were spoilt in 2014.
  • In 2014, the number was 252 274. This formed 1.35% of all the national ballots cast in that year.
  • This year the rate of spoilt ballots to all votes cast nationally was 1.33%.
  • This may indicate a lot of people still aren’t finding credible, compelling political options.

Are South Africans losing interest in elections?

  • This will need more than just numbers to answer comprehensively but the numbers do tell us part of the story.
  • In 2014, the turnout figure was 73.48%.
  • This year, South Africa registered a voter turnout of 65.99% for the….

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