Here's South Africa's election in numbers

<p><strong>A record number of 48 political parties will contest in South Africa’s national elections on May 8, the Independent Electoral Commission (<span class="caps">IEC</span>) said on Wednesday.</strong></p> <p><span class="caps">IEC</span> announced the final tally after the deadline for submission of party candidate lists and payment of deposits.</p> <a style="font-size:16px; font-color:yellow;" href="https://www.africanews.com/2019/03/16/south-africa-anc-parliament-list-defies-ramaphosa-s-anti-corruption-manifesto/"target="_blank"><span class="caps">READ</span> <span class="caps">MORE</span>: <span class="caps">ANC</span> parliament list defies Ramaphosa’s anti-corruption manifesto</a> <p>While only 29 political parties contested the national elections in 2014, a record number will contest even the provincial legislature elections in 2019.</p> <p>Gauteng province has the highest number of political parties at 36, while the smallest number is in the Northern Cape at 21.</p> <h2 style="font-size:16px;">Election numbers</h2> <ul> <li>48 political parties</li> <li>26,756,898 registered voters</li> <li>74.6% of voting age population is registered to vote in 2019</li> <li>29,334 registered voters in the diaspora (to vote on April 27)</li> <li>22,924 polling stations</li> <li>Over 50 million ballot papers to be printed by <span class="caps">IEC</span></li> </ul> <a style="font-size:16px; font-color:yellow;" href="https://www.africanews.com/2019/02/07/south-africa-will-hold-parliamentary-election-on-may-8-ramaphosa/"target="_blank"><span class="caps">ALSO</span> <span class="caps">READ</span>: South Africa to hold parliamentary election on May 8: Ramaphosa</a>