The Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) has launched its campaign for the 2026 local government elections under the rallying call 'Get Up. Show Up. Vote.' The campaign is designed to combat declining voter turnout trends and specifically to encourage greater participation from young South Africans who are eligible to vote but have historically been underrepresented at the polls.
The 2026 elections are expected to be among the most consequential local government elections in South Africa's democratic history, following the emergence of multi-party coalition governments in several major metros after the 2021 elections and the dramatic shifts in the national political landscape that followed the 2024 general election. The outcomes will determine municipal leadership in all 257 municipalities across the country.
IEC Chairperson Mosotho Moepya emphasised the importance of voter participation, noting that local government elections have a direct impact on the services that citizens receive every day — from water and sanitation to electricity and refuse collection. He called on all registered voters to participate and to encourage others in their communities to do the same.
The commission has also launched enhanced voter registration drives targeting university campuses and TVET colleges, recognising that young people represent the largest pool of eligible voters who are not yet on the roll.
Opposition parties across the political spectrum, including the ANC, DA, EFF, MK Party and ActionSA, are all expected to contest aggressively in key urban and semi-urban municipalities.
