1.4 million South Africans vote early as IEC takes legal action over election intimidation

Special voting in the 2026 Local Government Elections closed on Tuesday with 1 425 942 voters having cast ballots across 2 and 3 November, the Electoral Commission said.

The two-day window was open to roughly 2.6 million approved voters who could not get to a voting station on Election Day, whether through physical infirmity or disability or because they would not be able to present themselves at a station in the ward where they are registered. Voting ran from 8am to 5pm on both days, at voting stations and through home visits.

Of the total, 974 852 voters voted at voting stations and 451 090 were assisted through home visits.

Gauteng recorded the most special votes at 264 898, followed by KwaZulu-Natal on 208 846 and the Eastern Cape on 207 258. Limpopo recorded 180 627, Mpumalanga 149 714, the Western Cape 148 493, North West 126 187, the Free State 75 946 and the Northern Cape 63 973.

“The Commission is pleased to report that at the time of closing, 1 425 942 voters had recorded as having voted between 2 and 3 November 2026,” IEC Chairperson Mosotho Moepya said.

Moepya said the figures were preliminary and would be finalised on Tuesday night. The special votes have been stored and will be counted with the 4 November Election Day ballots once voting stations close, with results tallied and announced per voting station as part of the overall results.

The Commission said it was encouraged by the turnout over the two days.

At a media briefing earlier on Tuesday, the Commission condemned incidents of intimidation, disruption and damage to election materials, and said it is taking legal action against the individuals and political parties involved. The Commission did not name those parties or individuals in this account.

South Africans go to the polls on Wednesday, 4 November to cast their votes in the 2026 Local Government Elections.

This report is based on the SAnews (South African Government News Agency) account of the Commission’s statements, published at https://www.sanews.gov.za/south-africa/day-2-special-votes-concludes, rather than on the Commission’s own records.