Social media has become a huge part of our everyday life; it is only natural that yesterday’s National and Provincial elections would make an appearance.<\/p>\n
The GCN took to our Facebook and Twitter pages to interact with community members visiting the polls.<\/p>
One of the questions posed was: Do you feel your voting station was well organised?<\/p>\n
Morn\u00e9 Kriel was one of the first people to respond.<\/p>
His voting experience was set back by poor organisation at the voting station he was at.<\/p>\n
He told the GCN, “No.<\/p>\n
“It is 7.30am and officials have just informed us the ID scanner is faulty.<\/p>\n
“Really?<\/p>\n
“What type of service is this?”<\/p>\n
The rest of the comments on the organisation of voting stations throughout Germiston were positive.<\/p>\n
June Richards Brighton commented: “We had a little problem with the scanners and ballot papers arrived a little late, but they sorted everything out in Primrose and all went well.<\/p>\n
“The staff was also very friendly.”<\/p>\n
“Dinwiddie High had long queues but it was still a pleasure to vote there,” said Warren Rheinhard.<\/p>\n
Gerhard Vatti van Zyl was impressed with his voting experience and said: “Well organised and friendly, too.<\/p>\n
“Pensioners and the disabled were taken to the front so they could vote first.<\/p>\n
“Well done.”<\/p>\n
Another talking point was how long voters had to wait before being able to cast their vote.<\/p>\n
“I probably waited about half an hour, not too bad,” said Malinda Markham.<\/p>\n
Brianne Bousfield said: “I voted at Sunnyridge Primary School and waited about two hours, but it went quick and really didn’t feel like a two hour wait.<\/p>\n
“I feel the process was also very well organised this time.<\/p>\n
“Glad to see that officials let the elderly people, the pregnant women and disabled people go first.”<\/p>\n
“I voted at the Makause informal settlement, I waited five minutes because I am injured.<\/p>\n
“The service was really good,” said Bekifa Sambo.<\/p>\n
Tina Moodley told the GCN: “We took 10 minutes.<\/p>\n
“The service was fantastic at Primrose Primary School.<\/p>\n
“It was also a big occasion with my daughter casting her first vote.<\/p>\n
“Such a proud moment.”<\/p>\n
We then asked the community: How did your voting experience go?<\/p>\n
While most agreed it was a great experience and they couldn’t wait to see the results, some did not have a good experience.<\/p>\n
One such comment came from Karen Allan-Grainger, who told the GCN: “The election staff at Germiston High School didn’t get their happy pills this morning – rather a lethargic and sad bunch.<\/p>\n
“But the station was almost empty at 4.30pm, as opposed to Delville Primary School, that had a long queue for most of the day.”<\/p>\n
“Our voting station opened at 7.30am, because there were no pens,” said Martin Botha.<\/p>\n
“The ID scanners’ batteries then went flat and we had to wait for new ones to arrive.<\/p>\n
“When the scanners were finally fixed the staff did not know how to work with them.”<\/p>\n
The GCN will strive to keep the community up-to-date on the latest results from the polls.<\/p>\n