Voting day is a public holiday, but check your ward first, or your mark will not count

South Africans vote in the 2026 Local Government Elections on Wednesday, 4 November, and the government’s own pre-election guide says the work starts before the queue: confirm your registration details, check your ward and voting station, and make sure you have an identity document the station will accept.

The guide, published by SAnews (South African Government News Agency) under the title “Ready to Vote: Preparing for the 2026 Local Government Elections” and written by Deputy Government Spokesperson William Baloyi, is a summary of arrangements rather than the election record itself. It states that municipal elections require citizens to vote where they are registered, and that registration, ward and voting-station checks can be done through the IEC website at https://www.elections.org.za/pw/, by calling the IEC on 0800 11 8000, by SMSing a 13-digit identity number to 32810, or by sending “Hi” on WhatsApp to 060 088 0000.

Wednesday 4 November has been declared a public holiday so that every voter has the opportunity to make their mark. Voters whose special vote applications have been approved cast their ballots earlier, on Monday 2 November and Tuesday 3 November 2026.

Home Affairs has extended its operating hours to help voters get the documents they need. Offices will be open from 8 am to 6 pm on 2 and 3 November, and from 7 am to 9 pm on 4 November, aligning with the IEC’s operational hours, so that citizens can collect or apply for identity documents or obtain Temporary Identity Certificates where applicable.

On the day, the guide states, voters should carry an acceptable identity document, such as a smart ID card, a green barcoded ID book or a valid temporary identity certificate. Election officials will verify each voter’s identity against the voters’ roll and mark a thumbnail with indelible ink as a safeguard against anyone voting more than once.

The ballot a voter receives depends on where they live. Voters in metropolitan municipalities receive a ward ballot and a proportional representation ballot, while those in local municipalities receive an additional district proportional representation ballot. In the booth, each voter makes one clear cross next to their chosen candidate or party. Signatures or unnecessary marks can result in a ballot being rejected, and a voter who makes a mistake may return the ballot to the presiding officer for assistance before it reaches the ballot box. The guide advises voters to fold completed ballots and not to photograph them.

Voters with disabilities, including those who are blind or visually impaired, may be assisted by a person of their choice, provided that person is 18 years or older and is not a candidate or party agent. A voter who arrives without a companion and asks for help may be assisted by the presiding officer in the presence of at least two accredited political agents.

The guide also sets out what the state says it will do about safety. Police visibility, crime-prevention measures and public-order policing will run under the National Integrated Security Plan for the 2026 local elections, coordinated through the National Joint Operational and Intelligence Structure (NATJOINTS). Citizens and candidates are reminded to refrain from political campaigning within voting-station boundaries, and the guide states that any act of intimidation, coercion, disruption or violence will face the full force of the law.

On how to decide, the document is direct: a campaign slogan is not a service-delivery plan, and an ambitious promise is not necessarily a performance record. It points voters to municipal budget, revenue and expenditure information from the National Treasury, municipal audit outcomes from the Auditor-General of South Africa, and records from the Parliamentary Monitoring Group. It also notes that independent civic tools can help voters compare manifestos, candidates, service-delivery records, coalition positions and promises against constitutional and municipal mandates, and that the IEC should be the source for official registration, voting-station, candidate and election-process information.

The guide advises voters heading to the polls to queue early and to carry water and a hat for rising temperatures. Local government, it notes, is the sphere closest to the people, responsible for services that touch daily life including water, sanitation and roads.

• Source: SAnews (South African Government News Agency), “Ready to Vote: Preparing for the 2026 Local Government Elections”, by William Baloyi, published 31 October 2026: https://www.sanews.gov.za/south-africa/ready-vote-preparing-2026-local-government-elections