Early results arrive as voting ends in South Africa’s election

The much anticipated election in South Africa has come to an end with results already making their ways to the electoral commission. Voters cast their ballots on Wednesday to elect a new national parliament, which will then choose the next president…

Results from South Africa’s most competitive election since the end of apartheid started arriving early Thursday after a late voting rush kept many polling places open with long lines late into the night.

Wednesday’s vote might change the nation’s history, with opinion surveys indicating that the African National Congress (ANC) may lose its majority for the first time in 30 years.

This will force the party to reach an agreement with one or more smaller parties to lead the country.

Voters are casting their ballots for provincial assembly members of their choice in each of the country’s nine provinces and a new national parliament, which will then choose the next president.

As of Thursday morning, the election commission had processed results from less than 1% of more than 23,000 polling stations across South Africa.

According to the preliminary results, the ANC received approximately 54% of the vote, with the Democratic Alliance coming in second with around 20% and the radical leftist Economic Freedom Fighters with 8%.

Former President Jacob Zuma’s new uMkhonto we Sizwe party finished fourth with approximately 5%.
More than 27 million people were registered to vote in this year’s election.

The results of the election are expected to be released in seven days by the electoral commission.