Lydia has made a life in her Parkwood council flat, tending her garden and running a small business. The staircase outside her door needs replacing, and she is determined to see it done. With community activist Max, she takes a closer look at her ward and learns how to navigate the system correctly: how to log a request properly, how to keep a reference number, how to follow it up, and who to approach when it stalls. She also discovers that the 2021 ward demarcation moved her boundary, which changes who represents her.

The series opens by stepping back to ask founding questions about democracy, the Electoral Commission and the role of the local vote. The IEC and independent experts explain how the system works. Four ordinary South Africans bring those answers down to earth with their own stories of voting. Sidwell Mayekiso, founder of a chess academy in Khayelitsha, remembers casting his first ballot in 1994 and discovers how special votes make sure no voter is left behind. Nirvana Boddy, from the Cape Flats, is getting ready to vote for the first time.