Over 140 000 candidates submit nominations for 2026 Local Government Elections

The Electoral Commission (IEC) says more than 140 000 candidates have been nominated to contest 10 526 council seats in the 2026 Local Government Elections, representing a significant increase in participation compared with the previous local government polls.

Addressing the media in Pretoria on Wednesday, Commission Chairperson Mosotho Moepya said that by the close of the statutory period for the submission of candidate nominations at 5pm on Friday, 28 August 2026, a total of 142 072 candidates had been nominated across municipalities. 

“The immediate task of the Electoral Commission is now to review the submissions for compliance with the legislative requirements governing candidate nominations,” Moepya said.

Moepya explained that the process includes checking whether candidates completed acceptance of nomination forms, whether political parties and independent candidates paid the applicable deposit, and whether independent candidates had submitted the details of registered voters supporting their candidature.

“Once these checks are complete, the Electoral Commission will compile and make available the final list of candidates on 16 September 2026,” Moepya said.

According to preliminary figures released by the Commission, 299 political parties and 127 independent candidates submitted their nominations through the Online Candidate Nomination System (OCNS).
A further 205 political parties and 634 independent candidates submitted their nominations manually at Commission offices across the country.

Of the 142 072 candidates, 40 241 were nominated by political parties to contest Proportional Representation (PR) seats, while 100 856 were nominated by political parties to contest ward seats.
In addition, 975 independent candidates have been nominated to contest ward seats.

“The number of nominations received for the 2026 elections marks a substantial increase from the 2021 Local Government Elections.

“The Commission received 99 000 nominations to contest the 2021 elections, meaning the 142 072 nominations received for the 2026 polls represent an increase of approximately 43%.

“The profile of nominated candidates is dominated by individuals aged between 36 and 55 years, who account for 58% of all candidates. The highest concentration is in the 41-45 year age group, which accounts for 16% of nominated candidates,” Moepya said.

Men account for nearly two-thirds of all nominations, while women’s representation stands at about 38% overall.

“Men also dominate the PR lists, accounting for 56% compared with 44% [for] women. In the ward elections component, 65% of candidates are male, while women make up 35% of contestants,” he said.
According to Moepya, the City of Johannesburg has the highest number of PR contestants, with 80 parties, followed by the City of Tshwane with 72 parties, eThekwini with 70 parties, Ekurhuleni with 69 parties and the City of Cape Town with 55 parties.

“The other municipalities in the top 10 are Emfuleni with 43 parties, Polokwane with 40 parties, Rustenburg with 38 parties, Nelson Mandela Bay with 38 parties and Capricorn District with 38 parties,” he said.

Deadline 
The Commission said 2 274 candidate names were captured but not finally submitted on the Online Candidate Nomination System by the 5pm deadline on 28 August 2026.

Of these, 480 were potential PR candidates and 1 794 were potential ward candidates. The candidates were linked to 45 political parties.

"The Commission's position is that, in practical terms, these potential candidates have not been submitted to the Commission and therefore are not in contention for this election," Moepya said.

Political party participation 
The preliminary figures also show a high level of political party participation in the elections.

At national level, 345 political parties are registered, of which 227 have nominated candidates, representing 66% of registered parties.

At the provincial level, 36 parties are registered, with 33 contesting, representing 92%.
At the metropolitan level, 61 parties are registered, with 49 contesting, representing 80%.
At the district level, 290 parties are registered, with 237 contesting, representing 82%.

Moepya said the Electoral Commission will now focus on verifying the nominations and ensuring that candidates meet all legislative requirements.

“The Commission will compile and make available the final lists of candidates who have fully met the requirements for candidacy on 16 September 2026.

"Lastly, the Commission commends political parties and independent candidates offering themselves as candidates in the currently evolving electoral process. As the Commission works to finalise the lists of candidates, those nominated are reminded of their legal obligation to uphold the Electoral Code of Conduct,” he said. – SAnews.gov.za

 

Source: Original report at SAnews.gov.za.