Nine days to the polls: where you must vote, what to bring and why the driver's licence stays home
The IEC has set out the rules for the 4 November local government elections, from special voting on 2 and 3 November to the two or three ballots waiting at your station.
South Africans go to the polls on 4 November 2026 to elect local government representatives, with special voting set down for 2 and 3 November from 8am to 5pm and voting stations open from 7am to 9pm on the day itself.
The guidance comes from the Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) and was published by SAnews, the South African Government News Agency (https://www.sanews.gov.za/south-africa/ready-vote-know-what-expect-election-day). This article is a summary of that guidance rather than the Commission’s own regulations, and the IEC’s channels remain the record.
The first thing worth checking is not your politics but your paperwork. For municipal elections, voters must vote at the voting station where they are registered. Registration details and voting station can be confirmed on the IEC website at www.elections.org.za, by SMS to 32810 with a 13-digit ID number, or by sending “Hi” to the IEC WhatsApp number 060 088 0000.
At the station, an election official verifies identity and registration details, the name is checked against the voters’ roll, and the thumbnail is marked with indelible ink to prevent double voting. Ballot papers are then issued.
What the Commission will accept as identity is narrow. A smart ID card, a green barcoded ID book or a valid temporary identity certificate will do. Driver’s licences, passports, student cards and photocopies of ID documents are not accepted for voting purposes.
How many ballots you receive depends on where you are registered. Voters in a metropolitan municipality get two: a ward ballot for a ward councillor and a proportional representation ballot for a party in the metropolitan council. Voters in a local municipality get three: a ward ballot, a PR ballot for the local municipal council and a district PR ballot for representation on the district municipal council.
In the booth, the instruction is one clear X inside the box next to the chosen candidate or party on each ballot. A name, a signature or unnecessary marks can invalidate a ballot. A voter who makes a mistake should not drop the ballot in the box but return it to the Presiding Officer and ask for assistance. Ballot papers are folded to keep the choice private and placed in the ballot box as directed by officials.
The Commission’s message is to know each ballot before marking it. Nine days out, that starts with knowing which station you are registered at and which document you are taking through the door.
