An election expert said on Monday allowing South Africans living abroad to vote would be a "logistical nightmare" and could further delay the announcement of an election date.
"Logistically it would be a nightmare, it would mean setting up voting stations across the globe… it will impact on the closing date of the voters roll…
"… it would prolong the announcement of an election date and in effect the election," said Titi Pitso, election and political processes manager at the Electoral Institute of Southern Africa (EISA).
EISA is a non profit organisation that focuses on elections, electoral practices and the promotion of democratic governance on the African continent.
The Pretoria High Court on Monday ruled that South Africans living abroad should be allowed to vote.
The court found that the electoral act "limited" the casting of votes to people temporarily living abroad. It referred the judgment to the Constitutional Court for confirmation.
Pitso said a nod from the Constitutional Court on the ruling meant the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) would have to ascertain how many potential voters there were in each country across the globe.
This is itself would be a "hassle", she said.
Typically embassies in foreign countries were used for citizens to cast their ballots. The IEC would have to staff voting stations set up at embassies with independent workers.
"The staff at the voting stations would have to be independent therefore no government workers could be used, the IEC would have to send independent workers to each country.
"This will be an added burden to the tax payer as it is very expensive to fly them and accommodate the workers… the number of staff required in each country or city will depend on how many potential voters are in each city," she said.
The voters in foreign countries would then have to be added to the voters roll through registering and this process could take time.
President Kgalema Motlanthe was expected to announce the election date this week. Once he had announced and proclaimed the date, voter registration would close.
Allowing voters from abroad to register could take time, further delaying the announcement of the date by Motlanthe.
Pitso said the IEC would also have to create awareness about polling stations in foreign countries which entailed advertising across the globe, another hefty expense.
The largest hurdle for the IEC would be to ascertain exactly how many potential voters there were in each country in order to determine where to set up stations and what the manpower requirements of these stations should be.
IEC heads were unable to be reached for comment immediately as they were locked in a meeting.