Are official election results processed by an electronic tabulation system?

Electoral Act (Act No. 25 of 2004, last amended in 2018)

64. Procedure after counting at polling station

(1) After the counting is completed the presiding officer shall without delay, in the presence of such candidates and their election agents as are present—

(a) close and seal the aperture in the ballot box; and

(b) make up into separate packets sealed with his or her own seal and with the seals of those candi-dates and election agents, if any, who desire to affix their seals—

(i) the unused and spoilt ballot papers and counterfoils of the unused ballot papers placed together;

(ii) the counterfoils of the used ballot papers, including the counterfoils of the spoilt ballot papers;

(iii) the register of assisted voters; […]

(2) Immediately after affixing a polling station return on the outside of the polling station in terms of subsection (1)(e), the presiding officer shall personally transmit to the ward elections officer for the ward in which the polling station is situated—

(a) the ballot box and packets referred to in subsection (1)(a) and (b), accompanied by a statement made by the presiding officer showing the number of ballot papers entrusted to him or her and accounting for them under the heads of used ballot papers, excluding spoilt ballot papers, unused ballot papers and spoilt ballot papers;

65. Procedure on receipt of polling-station returns at ward centre

(1) Either before or as soon as possible after receiving polling-station returns transmitted in terms of section 64, a ward elections officer shall give reasonable notice in writing to—

(a) each candidate or his or her chief election agent; and

(b) each political party whose party-list candidates are contesting the election in the ward; and

(c) such observers as can readily be contacted;

of the time when the ward elections officer will verify and collate the polling-station returns at the ward centre and count the postal votes. […]

(7) Immediately after causing a copy of the ward return to be displayed outside the ward centre, the ward elections officer shall cause the return, certified by himself or herself to be correct, to be transmitted to the constituency centre for the constituency in which the ward is situated.

65A. Procedure on receipt of ward returns at constituency centre

(1) Either before, or as soon as possible after, receiving ward returns transmitted in terms of section 65, a constituency elections officer shall give reasonable notice in writing to—

(a) each candidate or his or her chief election agent; and

(b) each political party whose party-list candidates are contesting the election in the constituency; and

(c) such observers as can readily be contacted;

of the time when the constituency elections officer will verify and collate the ward returns at the constituency centre and declare the results of the constituency election. […]

67. Notification of result of election

(1) As soon as the constituency elections officer has declared a candidate to be duly elected, he or she shall, without delay, notify the Chief Elections Officer, by telegram, telefacsimile, electronic mail or such other means as may be prescribed, of, the names of the person declared duly elected, the day with effect from which he or she was declared elected, the number of votes received by the respective candidates and the number of rejected ballot papers. [Subsection amended by Act 3 of 2012]

(2) The information referred to in subsection (1) shall be confirmed by notice in writing which is signed by the constituency elections officer and sent to the Chief Elections Officer by the first postal delivery after he or she was notified of the information in terms of subsection (1). [Subsection amended by Act 3 of 2012]