South Africans head to polls to elect local government leaders

Eligible South Africans will today head to voting stations across the country to cast their votes in the 2026 Local Government Elections.

Local Government Elections place the future of municipal councils in the hands of voters, who will elect representatives tasked with addressing the needs and priorities of their communities. 

From the delivery of basic services such as water, electricity and sanitation to maintaining municipal roads, managing waste and promoting local economic development, the decisions made by municipal councils have a direct bearing on the everyday lives of residents.

The elections provide registered voters with an opportunity to exercise their democratic right and determine who will represent them in municipal councils over the next five years.

A total of 29.2 million voters are registered to participate in the elections, which will be conducted at 23 696 voting stations across the country.

The Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) has deployed approximately 188 000 electoral officials to administer the voting process across the nine provinces.

“The Electoral Commission is fully prepared for Election Day, with operational arrangements in place across all nine provinces to facilitate a smooth and efficient voting process,” IEC Chief Electoral Officer, Sy Mamabolo, said on Tuesday evening.

The electoral contest is also extensive, with 136 790 candidates vying for 10 526 council seats across the country’s eight metropolitan municipalities, 44 district municipalities and 205 local municipalities.

Voting stations will open at 07:00 and close at 21:00, with Wednesday declared a public holiday to enable eligible voters to participate in the elections.

“All ballot papers and essential election materials have already been secured and distributed to voting stations, with the necessary logistical, security and operational arrangements in place to support the successful conduct of the elections,” Mamabolo added.

Voters are reminded to cast their ballots at the voting station where they are registered and must present an acceptable identity document, namely a smart ID card, green barcoded ID book or a valid Temporary Identity Certificate.

Special voting

Election day follows two days of special voting on 2 and 3 November, which provided an opportunity for registered voters who would not be available on Election Day, as well as those unable to travel to voting stations due to physical infirmity or disability, to cast their ballots.

A total of 1 425 942 voters cast their special votes during the two-day period.

Deputy Government Spokesperson William Baloyi said government was pleased with the outcome of the special voting process and thanked South Africans for participating.

“Government's assessment of the two days scheduled for special votes is that everything went well, and we wish to thank South Africans for turning out in their numbers,” Baloyi told SAnews.

He described the participation as a demonstration of the public's commitment to strengthening the country's democracy.

Baloyi also appealed to young people to participate in the elections, reminding them that the decisions made by elected leaders would shape their future.

“To the youth, we want to appeal to you as government that this is your future. The future is in your hands. Make sure that you wake up, go early in your big numbers to the voting stations. Don't underestimate your vote. Your vote is your future. The youth are the future of this country,” he said.

Government has also encouraged voters to make their way to voting stations early, with weather predictions indicating showers in some parts of the country.

Baloyi reminded eligible citizens that voting was an opportunity to exercise their constitutional right and choose the candidates and parties they believe can represent, develop and build their communities. 

As voting gets underway, the focus will be on the participation of registered voters and the administration of the electoral process as South Africa continues its democratic journey through the local sphere of government. – SAnews.gov.za

Source: Original report at SAnews.gov.za.