Special votes open in Mpumalanga as 292 775 voters head to the polls
Premier Mandla Ndlovu urges the province's voters to use a right he says the Constitution guarantees, as the IEC says its systems are ready for Wednesday's local government elections.
Special voting for the 2026 Local Government Elections is under way in Mpumalanga, with 292 775 eligible voters in the province expected to cast their ballots on Monday and Tuesday.
Premier Mandla Ndlovu urged all eligible voters to exercise their right to vote as the electoral process got going. “Voting is a right enshrined in the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa. It gives you, as a citizen, the power to make a choice of your preferred party, and individuals to represent you in your Municipality. So use this opportunity to decide,” the Premier said in a statement on Monday.
The Electoral Commission launched its Results Operations Centre in White River on Friday, assuring voters of its readiness for the 2026 elections. According to the IEC, Mpumalanga has 2 170 139 registered voters out of the 29.2 million registered nationally, which represents 7.42 percent of the national voters’ roll.
The province has 23 000 voting stations, with more than 136 000 candidates contesting the elections.
“The IEC has assured the nation that all systems, including the material required to deliver credible elections, are in place. So every voter is guaranteed to cast their ballots in a system that will produce free and fair results. So let us all use this opportunity to amplify our voices,” Ndlovu said.
The province has also assured voters that measures are in place to ensure safe elections. The recent launch of the South African Police Service Provincial Safer Festive Season Operation in Bushbuckridge Local Municipality has bolstered confidence in safety measures during the election period, particularly in areas identified as crime hot spots. Police have confirmed that law enforcement agencies will be deployed to ensure the elections take place peacefully.
All voting stations will be open from 7 am to 9 pm on Wednesday, 4 November 2026. The day has been declared a public holiday to give voters time to cast their ballots.
With high temperatures possible, the Premier encouraged voters to take precautions against heat-related illnesses, urging them to avoid prolonged exposure to direct sunlight while queuing at voting stations and to drink water to prevent dehydration, reducing the risk of medical emergencies that could affect their ability to vote.
In the 2026 local government elections, voters may vote only at their registered voting station. The Electoral Commission urges voters to check their voting station details before Election Day. Voters can send their ID number via WhatsApp to 0600 88 0000 or by SMS to 32810 at R1 per SMS. They will receive their registered voting station’s name and voters’ roll sequence number, which election officials can use on Election Day to find their names on the roll more quickly.
This report is drawn from the SAnews (South African Government News Agency) account of the province’s election preparations, published at https://www.sanews.gov.za/south-africa/mpumalanga-expects-292-775-voters-cast-special-votes. It summarises the province’s and the IEC’s statements rather than reproducing the underlying electoral records.
