South Africans preparing for the 2026 Local Government Elections have been reminded that they can vote only at the station where they are registered.
Briefing the media, Electoral Commission CEO Sy Mamabolo stated that the Electoral Commission was steadily advancing preparations for the municipal elections. He also urged citizens to promptly verify their voter registration details.
The commission also announced that a national voter registration weekend will take place on 20-21 June 2026. This will give eligible voters additional opportunities to register or update their details.
Registration weekend set for June
Mamabolo stressed that, unlike national and provincial elections, local government elections do not allow voters to cast ballots outside the voting station where they are registered.
“In a local government election, there is no legal facility to vote outside of the voting station of registration,” Mamabolo said.
He explained that this rule exists because voters must elect ward councillors who represent the communities where they live.
“This is a necessary requirement as it ensures that voters vote in a ward election that has a relationship with their place of ordinary residence. In other words, voters vote for ward councillors to represent the communities in which they live,” he said.
The commission, therefore, urged South Africans to carefully consider where they will be living on election day before registering.
“That clarity ensures they register correctly and avoids unnecessary administrative complications closer to election day.”
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Digital registration gaining traction
The commission also reported a surge in online voter registrations.
Between November 2025 and March 2026, 260 205 new voters registered, with 132 092 using the online self-service portal and 128 113 registering through voter management devices.
Mamabolo said the figures showed South Africans were increasingly embracing digital registration tools.
“More citizens are taking advantage of outreach initiatives to register and update their details, reflecting a growing confidence in both our digital and in-person registration channels,” he said.
Election date will trigger key processes
Mamabolo said once voter registration is completed, the election date will be proclaimed by the Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs.
“Once the election date has been announced, eligible voters will have until midnight on that same day to register to vote,” he said.
The proclamation of the election date will also trigger several administrative steps in the electoral timetable.
These include the certification and publication of the voters’ roll, the inspection period for objections, and the submission of candidate nominations.
Mamabolo added that an early announcement of the election date is important to help voters plan ahead.
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“The commission’s position is that an early announcement of an election date is critical to allow South Africans to decide where they will be on voting day, as this directly determines where they register,” he said.
Mamabolo added that announcing the election date early would help voters decide where they should register.
“For instance, a student studying in one province but ordinarily residing in another must know whether they will be on campus or at home when the country votes,” he said.
Nearly 2 000 voting districts affected
The latest ward delimitation process, conducted by the Municipal Demarcation Board (MDB), has resulted in the subdivision of 1 865 voting districts. This represents 8% of the country’s total.
KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng account for almost 45% of the affected voting districts, followed by Mpumalanga and North West with 26%.
Mamabolo explained that ward boundaries determine local political representation while voting districts serve as administrative units for elections.
“Ward boundaries set the geography for political representation at the lowest level, while voting districts are electoral administrative units,” he said.
Because of the changes, the commission will adjust the network of voting stations to ensure accessibility and alignment with updated ward boundaries.
“This revision often results in the disestablishment of some voting districts and the creation of new ones,” Mamabolo said.
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