S. Africa Judge Upholds Vote Rule
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CAPE TOWN, South Africa — A South African judge on Friday rejected an opposition party’s argument that a voter registration process was unconstitutional.
The National Party, which ruled during apartheid, had challenged a rule that South Africans must use a computer-readable identification document to vote and to register to vote. The party claimed that the rule could disenfranchise millions of people in the nation’s second all-race elections.
In a 54-page written judgment, High Court Judge Deon van Zyl said that voters had been given ample time to get the documents, which were introduced in 1986.
About 80% of blacks have the bar-coded identification documents, compared with 65% of whites. The National Party fears that will translate into more votes for the ruling African National Congress.
President Nelson Mandela has said the vote could be held in May.
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