Disenfranchisement of informal voters and its implications on the 2016 local government elections Sanjay Balkaran Faculty of Commerce and Administration Walter Sisulu University (047) 5022589 / 0711282104 sbalkaran@wsu.ac.za / sanjay.balkaran@gmail.com Abstract The upcoming 2016 local government elections, juxtaposed to the 2015 Constitutional Court ruling, compels the IEC to include physical addresses in the municipal voters’ role, prompting the ANC to question the court ruling as a possible disenfranchisement of voters living in informal settlements (Electoral Act 73 of 1998). This paper analyses the implications of the 2015 Constitutional Court judgement and systematically examines the political range of normative arguments on the issue of disenfranchisement of people living in informal settlements. The paper hinges on two basic human rights - the right to vote and the right to housing, both inextricably entwined at local government level. Since access to property rights is related to the political disenfranchisement of 1,2 million households, this paper will use the Structuration Theory framework to analyse the role of transitory voters with no viable housing options living in informal settlements in 2 700 informal settlements in 70 municipalities. Social observers like Gilbert and Ward interrogate the ANC government’s position in “promoting autonomy” of informal settlements as an effort to transfer its state housing responsibilities to its citizens; hence encouraging individual initiative, self-help, NGOS etc. as a means of social control. Notwithstanding, the majority of residents living in informal settlements have access to both cellphones (RICA) and bank accounts (FICA), both of which require a formal residential address to own and register? So it begs the question, what physical address do they use and how can it lead to disenfranchisement? Keywords: Migration theory, structuration, intercultural society Introduction South Africa’s fifth local government elections will only be announced after the next round of registrations which take place on 9 th and 10 th April 2016. Thanks to the fluidity and robustness of politics, the 2016 elections give South Africa’s voters the opportunity to make their voices heard on a number of issues. This election will take into account big issues: financial management of municipalities, service delivery, corruption, the drought, public transport, housing and job opportunities for the youth.