Intellectual Property Rights from Publicly Financed Research and
R 385
Electoral Commission Act, 1996 (Act No. 51 of 1996)Chapter 2 : Electoral Commission5. Powers, duties and functions of Commission |
| (1) | The functions of the Commission include to— |
| (a) | manage any election; |
| (b) | ensure that any election is free and fair; |
| (c) | promote conditions conducive to free and fair elections; |
| (d) | promote knowledge of sound and democratic electoral processes; |
| (e) | compile and maintain voters' rolls by means of a system of registering of eligible voters by utilising data available from government sources and information furnished by voters; |
| (f) | compile and maintain a register of parties; |
| (g) | establish and maintain liaison and co-operation with parties; |
| (h) | undertake and promote research into electoral matters; |
| (i) | develop and promote the development of electoral expertise and technology in all spheres of government; |
| (j) | continuously review electoral legislation and proposed electoral legislation, and to make recommendations in connection therewith; |
| (k) | promote voter education; |
| (l) | promote co-operation with and between persons, institutions, governments and administrations for the achievement of its objects; |
| (m) | [Paragraph (m) deleted by section 94 of Act No. 117 of 1998] |
| (n) | declare the results of elections for national, provincial and municipal legislative bodies within seven days after such elections; |
| (o) | adjudicate disputes which may arise from the organisation, administration or conducting of elections and which are of an administrative nature; and |
| (p) | appoint appropriate public administrations in any sphere of government to conduct elections when necessary. |
| (2) | The Commission shall, for the purposes of the achievement of its objects and the performance of its functions— |
| (a) | acquire the necessary staff, whether by employment, secondment, appointment on contract or otherwise; |
| (b) | establish and maintain the necessary facilities for collecting and disseminating information regarding electoral matters; |
| (c) | co-operate with educational or other bodies or institutions with a view to the provision of instruction to or the training of persons in electoral and related matters; and |
| (d) | generally, perform any act that is necessary for or conducive to that. |
