Special voting for the 2026 Local Government Elections (LGE) is underway, with 292 775 eligible voters in Mpumalanga expected to cast their ballots on Monday and Tuesday.
Mpumalanga Premier Mandla Ndlovu has urged all eligible voters to exercise their right to vote as the electoral process gets underway.
“Voting is a right enshrined in the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa. It gives you, as a citizen, the power to make a choice of your preferred party, and individuals to represent you in your Municipality. So use this opportunity to decide,” the Premier said in a statement on Monday.
The Electoral Commission (IEC) launched its Results Operations Centre in White River on Friday, assuring voters of its readiness for the 2026 elections.
According to the IEC, Mpumalanga has 2 170 139 registered voters out of the 29.2 million registered nationally.
This represents 7.42 percent of the national voters’ roll. The province has 23 000 voting stations, with more than 136 000 candidates contesting the elections.
“The IEC has assured the nation that all systems, including the material required to deliver credible elections, are in place. So every voter is guaranteed to cast their ballots in a system that will produce free and fair results. So let us all use this opportunity to amplify our voices,” Ndlovu said.
The province has also assured voters that measures are in place to ensure safe elections.
The recent launch of the South African Police Service (SAPS) Provincial Safer Festive Season Operation in Bushbuckridge Local Municipality has bolstered confidence in safety measures during the election period, particularly in areas identified as crime hot spots.
Police have confirmed that law enforcement agencies will be deployed to ensure the elections take place peacefully.
All voting stations will be open from 7 am to 9 pm on Wednesday, 4 November 2026. The day has been declared a public holiday to give voters time to cast their ballots.
With high temperatures possible, the Premier has also encouraged voters to take precautions against heat-related illnesses.
He urged voters to avoid prolonged exposure to direct sunlight while queuing at voting stations and to drink water to prevent dehydration, reducing the risk of medical emergencies that could affect their ability to vote.
In the 2026 local government elections, voters may vote only at their registered voting station. The Electoral Commission urges voters to check their voting station details before Election Day.
To check, send your ID number via WhatsApp to 0600 88 0000 or SMS to 32810 at R1 per SMS.
Voters will receive their registered voting station’s name and voters’ roll sequence number. Providing this number to election officials on Election Day helps them find voters’ names on the roll more quickly. –SAnews.gov.za
Source: Original report at SAnews.gov.za.
