South Africa’s 2026 Local Government Elections have officially kicked off, with nearly 99% of voting stations opening on time for special voting on Monday morning, despite delays in Cape Town and two tragic incidents involving election officials.
The Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) confirmed that voting began at 08:00 across the country, with the majority of stations reporting a smooth start and improved efficiency in processing voters.
However, the Commission reported the death of a presiding officer in the North West, who collapsed while on duty.
In a separate incident in KwaZulu-Natal’s uKhahlamba district, a deputy presiding officer was struck by a vehicle while travelling to a voting station and was rushed to hospital.
The IEC said it was providing the necessary support to the affected officials and their families.
Despite these incidents, the Commission maintained that the overall performance of voting stations across the country was encouraging.
“The first ballots have been cast in the 2026 Local Government Elections as special votes get off to a positive start,” the IEC said in a statement.
While most voting stations opened without incident, the City of Cape Town experienced significant delays.
According to the IEC, by 10:30, voting stations in only 10 of the municipality’s 116 wards were due to open for special voting.
The Commission said efforts were underway to ensure that the remaining voting stations became operational.
The IEC attributed the improved voting experience in most parts of the country to several technological and administrative interventions introduced ahead of the elections.
These include handheld barcode scanners integrated with digital Voter Management Devices (VMDs), which are designed to speed up voter verification and improve accuracy.
The Commission also upgraded and extensively tested its voter management systems to prevent a recurrence of technical challenges experienced during previous elections.
Another improvement is the introduction of sequence numbers, which allow election officials to locate voters more quickly on the voters’ roll.
The IEC said these measures had contributed to smoother processing and shorter verification times at voting stations.
Special voting will continue on Tuesday, 3 November, ahead of the main election day on Wednesday, 4 November 2026.
Voting stations will remain open until 17:00 on both special voting days, although stations where all approved special voters have already cast their ballots may close early and reopen for the main election.
The Commission has reminded voters that special votes may only be cast at the voting stations where they are registered and that only voters whose special vote applications were approved will be accommodated.
Voters must also present a valid South African identity document, including a Smart ID Card, green barcoded ID book or Temporary Identity Certificate issued by the Department of Home Affairs.
The IEC has urged voters to verify their voting station details and sequence numbers before leaving home to avoid unnecessary delays.
Voters can confirm their details through the IEC’s WhatsApp service on 0600 88 0000, its contact centre on 0800 11 8000 or by sending an SMS to 32810 at a cost of R1.
The Commission’s contact centre will operate from 07:00 to 19:00 during the two special voting days, with extended operating hours until 21:00 on the main election day.
Despite the challenges experienced on the first day, the IEC said it expects further improvements during Tuesday’s voting.
The Commission also thanked voters, election officials and stakeholders for contributing to what it described as a positive start to the electoral process.
With the first ballots already cast, attention now turns to the second day of special voting before millions of South Africans are expected to head to the polls on Wednesday to elect their local government representatives.