South Africa's IEC Declares Readiness for Local Elections: 2.65 Million Approved for Special Voting on November 2-3
PRETORIA — The Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) said on Sunday night, November 1, that it is ready to administer special voting on Monday and Tuesday ahead of the 2026 Local Government Elections on Wednesday, November 4. A total of 2,655,067 voters were approved for special votes, which cater for registered voters who may be unable to reach voting stations due to physical infirmity or disability, as well as those who may not be available to vote at their registered voting stations on Election Day.
IEC Chief Electoral Officer Sy Mamabolo told a media briefing that approved voters will cast their ballots in two categories: 678,525 will vote at their places of residence through home visits due to physical infirmity or disability, while 1,976,542 have been approved to vote at their registered voting stations. The Commission has deployed 127,000 electoral officials to administer home visits and voting-station special voting over the two days, with voting stations open from 8am to 5pm on both days. Gauteng recorded the highest overall number of approved special voters at 480,721, followed by the Eastern Cape with 401,971 and KwaZulu-Natal with 348,971.
The IEC said special votes will be administered under strict procedures to safeguard the secrecy, security and integrity of every ballot. Special votes will not be counted on Monday and Tuesday; home-visit ballots are placed in the prescribed envelopes, securely stored, and will be reconciled with the special-vote records before being opened and counted alongside ballots cast on Election Day. Political party agents, representatives of independent candidates and accredited observers may observe the process in accordance with the applicable rules. Voters can only vote where they are registered and can check their special vote status and voting station details through the Commission's website and contact centre.
On security, the National Joint Operational and Intelligence Structure (NATJOINTS) told media at its Coordinating Centre in Tshwane on Sunday that national and provincial joint operational structures have been activated and are fully operational, voting stations have undergone security assessments, and deployments are informed by identified threats and vulnerabilities. The South African National Defence Force also stands ready to support the police in identified hotspot areas should circumstances warrant. NATJOINTS Chairperson Lieutenant General Tebello Mosikili said the necessary security arrangements are in place across all provinces, metropolitan municipalities, districts and policing precincts, and the Coordinating Centre will monitor developments across all nine provinces in real time.
NATJOINTS reminded political parties and candidates that campaigning must conclude by midnight on Tuesday, with no campaigning or political persuasion permitted on Voting Day, and warned that intimidation or coercion of voters constitutes an offence under the Electoral Act. The briefing revealed that 139 dockets relating to election-related crime have been registered nationally since the commencement of the 2026 Local Government Elections processes, with 48 suspects arrested, 69 cases still under investigation and 25 enrolled in court. Mosikili said 20 murders, with seven arrests, have been recorded in incidents involving political representatives, party members and supporters, and that specialised investigative capacity, including the Political Killings Task Team, has been deployed.
The Commission has also warned of possible rainfall in parts of KwaZulu-Natal, Gauteng, Mpumalanga and the Western Cape over the next two days, while hot weather is expected in the North West, Limpopo, Northern Cape and Free State, and encouraged voters to monitor local forecasts. The South African Weather Service has separately issued a weather outlook for the election period.
(Source: South African Government News Agency, SAnews)
Source: GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 图：南非选举委员会首席选举官 Sy Mamabolo 在11月1日晚间简报会上通报特别投票准备情况。照片：南非政府新闻署 SAnews（该署明示媒体可免费使用其图片、注明出处即可）。 / Photo: IEC Chief Electoral Officer Sy Mamabolo at the November 1 evening briefing on special voting readiness. Photo: SAnews, South African Government News Agency (media use permitted free of charge with credit).
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