JOHANNESBURG — A 29-year-old Johannesburg woman has reportedly had her vote declared invalid after failing to upload a photograph of her inked thumb to social media.
The woman cast her ballot shortly after 8am but returned home without taking the traditional selfie outside the polling station.
‘I voted, went home and made breakfast,’ she explained. ‘I didn’t realise there was another step.’
The Electoral Commission allegedly flagged the ballot after discovering no corresponding photograph on Instagram, Facebook or WhatsApp.
Officials explained that voting was only part of the democratic process, with public confirmation now considered equally important.
‘How can we verify someone’s commitment to democracy if they haven’t posted about it?’ asked one official.
The woman attempted to rectify the situation by photographing her thumb later that evening, but the ink had already faded.
Her appeal was reportedly rejected after she failed to include the hashtag #YourVoteMatters.
She has since promised to take democracy more seriously, including preparing a suitable caption before the next election.
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The Hadeda Heckler is a South African satirical news website. Some stories are invented, others are exaggerated and a few are disturbingly close to the truth. Any resemblance to actual government competence or the stupidity of the average man or woman is purely coincidental.
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