By Lee-Yandra Paulsen

The #MyCandidate South Africa platform, spearheaded by Open Cities Lab (OCL), is poised to revolutionize voter engagement for South Africa’s upcoming 2024 elections. This innovative platform provides transparent and easily accessible information, empowering voters to make informed decisions as they cast their ballots.

Advocacy Lead for Open Cities Lab, Michelle Hinrichsen, shed light on the origins and functionality of the #MyCandidate South Africa platform. “As Open Cities Lab, we are a non-profit company (NPC) that champions democracy and active citizenship. A few years ago, as we approached the local government election, we realized that many of us didn’t know who would be on the ballot. This realization sparked the idea to address this challenge,” explained Hinrichsen.

She further elaborated that, over the years, the platform has evolved in various iterations. “However, this year’s version for the 2024 National Elections will allow you to view the candidates for the national elections across the three ballots that will be provided on voting day. You can click on each candidate’s name to conduct a Google search and explore their party manifesto. The platform not only features leading political candidates but also provides an extensive list of eligible candidates,” Hinrichsen added.

Regarding data collection, Hinrichsen mentioned, “We scrape data that the Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) has already made public and present it on the platform to facilitate easier access for citizens.”

Emphasizing the platform’s non-partisan nature, Hinrichsen highlighted, “We are totally impartial and do not favour any political party over another. Everyone is listed on #MyCandidate South Africa, making it a valuable source of impartial information as we approach elections.”

Hinrichsen also noted the platform’s commitment to timely updates and addressing any issues. “We strive to update the data as frequently as possible and monitor for any bugs or data discrepancies,” she stated.

The latest version of #MyCandidate South Africa has recently been launched, with Hinrichsen expressing satisfaction with the initial response. “The response has been great so far. We saw significant user engagement during the 2021 local government elections, and we are excited to build on that momentum,” she remarked.

The public can access the platform by visiting southafrica.mycandidate.africa.

VOC News

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