29.2 million voters, 188 000 officials, gates open at 7am: South Africa votes today

South Africa votes today. Voting stations open at 7am and close at 9pm, and the Electoral Commission says its operational arrangements are in place across all nine provinces for the 2026 Local Government Elections.

At a media briefing at the National Results Operations Centre at Gallagher Convention Centre in Midrand on Tuesday, IEC Chairperson Mosotho Moepya put the scale of the day in numbers: 29.2 million voters registered, 23 696 voting stations, and 188 000 IEC officials deployed and equipped to assist voters.

“The Commission remains committed to ensuring that every eligible voter is afforded the opportunity to cast their ballot in a free, fair, credible and peaceful electoral process,” Moepya said, urging voters, political parties, independent candidates, observers and all stakeholders to contribute to a peaceful Election Day.

The Commission said all ballot papers and essential election materials have been secured and distributed to voting stations, with logistical, security and operational arrangements in place.

Two days of special voting closed with 1 425 942 voters having cast ballots. The Commission said it was encouraged by the turnout.

Campaigning ended at midnight before Election Day, in line with the electoral timetable. The Commission said the cut-off is meant to give voters the chance to exercise their choice free from influence, intimidation or interference.

For voters, the practical rules are tight. A valid South African identity document is required, whether a smart ID card, a green barcoded ID book or a Temporary Identity Certificate issued by Home Affairs. Voters may only vote at the station where they are registered, and the Commission urged them to check their registration details and sequence numbers before leaving home to avoid delays at the door.

Station details can be checked on WhatsApp at 0600 88 0000, the IEC contact centre on 0800 11 8000, by SMS to 32810 at a cost of R1, or at www.elections.org.za.

Inside the station, ballots must be marked in secret in the designated booth and photographing a marked or completed ballot paper is prohibited. Party regalia, campaign materials and canvassing inside or in the immediate vicinity of a voting station are banned, though wearing party colours is not. Intimidation, obstruction or interference with voters or electoral officials is not permitted, and no person may enter a station carrying dangerous weapons or act in a way that disrupts voting.

The Commission also asked the public to verify electoral information through official channels before sharing it, warning that false or misleading information can undermine confidence in the process.

“By adhering to these requirements, voters and stakeholders will contribute to a peaceful, orderly and credible Election Day and help ensure that every eligible voter is able to cast their ballot freely and safely,” Moepya said.

This report is drawn from SAnews (South African Government News Agency), the government’s own account of the Commission’s Tuesday briefing, rather than from the Commission’s briefing transcript itself: https://www.sanews.gov.za/south-africa/all-systems-go-election-day