In the second issue of EISA’s election updates series, Steven Friedman from the Centre for the Study of Democracy reflects on South Africa’s past two decades of democracy, and updates from eight provinces provide insight and analysis into current issues from political party dynamics to protests and their potential impact on the forthcoming 7 May 2014 elections.

This issue contains an editorial outlining the method and purpose of the Election Updates and introductory sections on the legal framework, the election management body and the electoral system. Further sections look at voter and party registration, the 2014 election timetable, as well as the voting and counting processes. Finally the criteria for democratic elections are interrogated.