The Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) has urged voters approved for home-visit special voting in the 2026 Local Government Elections to remain at their registered addresses on Monday and Tuesday until electoral officials arrive to assist them in casting their ballots.
The appeal comes as the Commission prepares to conduct home visits for 678 525 voters who have been approved to cast special votes at their places of residence due to physical infirmity or disability.
During a media briefing on Sunday, the IEC warned that officials would not return to addresses where approved voters were not available when they first arrived.
“Given a sheer high number of home visitations to be made within the two days, often covering vast areas, the officials will not return to the same address if they do not find the voters when they arrive at the property for the first time,” the Commission’s Chief Electoral Officer, Sy Mamabolo, said.
The Commission said approved home-visit voters should remain available at the addresses provided in their applications throughout the two days of special voting, which takes place on 2 and 3 November.
KwaZulu-Natal recorded the highest number of approved home visits at 143 714, followed by other provinces across the country.
However, voters who miss their scheduled home visits will not lose their opportunity to vote.
“However, voters who miss the home visit by the election officials on 2 and 3 November are not disenfranchised. Such voters can still visit their voting station on 4 November 2026 to exercise their right to vote,” Mamabolo said.
The Commission has deployed 127 000 electoral officials to administer home visits and voting station-based special voting over the next two days.
Home-visit officials will be deployed in teams and may be accompanied by political party agents and observers.
The IEC also reminded stakeholders that access to homes and places of confinement by people other than electoral officials is at the discretion of approved voters and the institutions where such voters are hosted.
The Commission has called on all stakeholders to respect the integrity of the process and refrain from conduct that could intimidate voters or electoral officials, obstruct voting or interfere with approved home-visit routes and election materials.
READ | IEC approves 2.65 million special vote applications ahead of Local Government Elections
Special votes will be securely stored and reconciled with the special vote records before being counted alongside ballots cast on Election Day, Wednesday, 4 November 2026. – SAnews.gov.za
Source: Original report at SAnews.gov.za.
