South Africa’s Electoral Commission (IEC) says voter mobilisation efforts are gaining momentum ahead of the 2026 local government elections, with more than 305,000 new voters added to the national roll between January and September 2025.
Briefing the media in Pretoria, Deputy Chief Electoral Officer Masego Shiburi confirmed that an additional 60,752 existing voters had also updated their details during the same period — an important step to ensure each voter is correctly assigned to their residential ward.
The exact polling date for the 2026 local elections is still to be confirmed by the Minister of Home Affairs. However, Shiburi said logistical readiness is already at an advanced stage, including improvements in online systems that allow eligible citizens to self-register without queuing at physical voting stations.
Push for accurate ward representation
Shiburi appealed to South Africans — especially young new voters, internal migrants, and students who have relocated — to make sure their home address corresponds with the ward where they actually live, since ward-based representation forms the basis of local council elections.
He also highlighted that the IEC is working to strengthen public trust ahead of the polls, including through financial transparency under the Political Funding Act, which requires stricter reporting of private political donations.
Digital future of elections under consideration
The IEC also recently concluded a nationwide public consultation process on electronic voting (e-voting) on 30 September. The consultation period allowed political parties, civil society organisations and ordinary citizens to express their views on whether digital voting could be implemented in future election cycles.
Although no decision has been reached, election experts say e-voting has potential benefits — including lower costs and improved access — but would require major cybersecurity safeguards and updated legislation before any rollout.
The IEC is expected to release a report summarising the public submissions and recommendations later this year.
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Source:Africa Publicity
