IEC opens voter drive as local government elections loom

The Electoral Commission has moved into voter preparation mode ahead of the local government elections, telling South Africans that Election Day is “just around the corner” and urging them to make sure they are informed and ready to vote.

In a post on X on Tuesday, the commission promoted an episode of its IEC Podcast titled Preparing Voters, in which it sets out why taking part in local government elections matters. The episode is available on the commission’s YouTube channel.

The message is a narrow one: check that you are ready to make your mark. The commission’s post did not carry the election date, registration deadlines or the details of what the podcast episode covers beyond the case for participating.

Local government elections decide the councils that run municipalities, from waste collection and water reticulation to local roads, planning approvals and property rates. Voter turnout in those contests has historically trailed national elections.

The commission’s own post is the record here, and it points voters to the podcast rather than to a registration timetable.