IEC Salutes Uniprint after 2016 Municipal Elections

Categorised in: Blog

The recent South African Municipal Elections were hailed by the participants, the electorate and the observers as a resounding success. Once again the IEC delivered a free and fair election at polling stations around the country, but the IEC has been the first to admit that this would not have been possible were it not for the logistical success of the election and the tireless input of companies like Uniprint.

Ballot papers are a critical component of any election and during municipal elections the printing and distribution process is especially complex. Aside from the sheer number of ballot books, each containing 100 ballots, which need to be delivered to polling stations around the country, different regions require different variations according to the parties which will be running for office in their respective municipal districts.

This year a total of 73.9 million ballots of 4649 variations were printed for the local government elections and considering the fact that the project needed to be completed within a 10 day target period, commercial printers such as Uniprint had the odds stacked against them.

Uniprint was charged with printing approximately 21.5 million ballot papers for KwaZulu-Natal and North West, and after working tirelessly towards their target they produced a result which Simon Boyle, Senior Manager of Logisitics and Infrastructure at the IEC, hailed as “noteworthy and indispensible”.

“I wish to convey the thanks and appreciation of the Electoral Commission of South Africa to Uniprint for their role in making a success of the South African Municipal Elections in 2016,” said Boyle.

Boyle then extended his personal gratitude to the Uniprint team stating, “I add my personal thanks for the engaging and supportive manner in which the Uniprint management and project team tackled this task. It was in particular this collaborative approach that allowed us to jointly confront and solve problems as they arose, and so win the day!”

Following their experience in printing, labelling and distributing ballot papers for the Tanzanian National Elections in 2015, Uniprint were ready for the challenge. However, irrespective of their past experience, the team was required to show real determination over the 10 day period in order to meet their target. In true Uniprint style they did so flawlessly, enabling them to meet the IEC’s target and play a vital role in ensuring the 2016 South African Municipal Elections were free and fair.

Ready to discuss how Uniprint can support your printing needs? Contact us today for personalized solutions tailored to your requirements!