While the final in-person voter registration weekend for South Africa’s 2026 Local Government Elections has ended, eligible residents who have not yet registered still have until midnight on Friday to do so online.

During the final voter registration weekend, the Boksburg Advertiser visited several registration stations across Boksburg to monitor the process. Officials at the stations visited confirmed that voting stations opened on time on both Saturday and Sunday, with no major issues reported.

Among the residents this publication spoke to was Susan Thomson, who visited the Atlasville voter registration station to verify her voting station details.

Thomson said every eligible resident should register and vote because local government decisions directly affect their daily lives.

“If I’m not registered, then I can’t vote, and every vote is important for our area, especially Ward 23. We have to participate in these elections because we live here and experience the daily challenges.

“We drive over potholes, many streets have broken streetlights, and traffic lights have been out of service for a long time. Although our ward’s water supply has now stabilised, we recently went four days without water and have also experienced prolonged electricity outages.

“If you don’t register, you can’t vote, and if you can’t vote, you can’t complain. Please make use of this last opportunity to register.”

Although the weekend registration drive has concluded, the Electoral Commission (IEC) urges eligible citizens to use the online platforms to update their registration details or confirm their voting station information before registrations close at midnight on Friday, August 7.

Providing an update on the nationwide registration weekend, the IEC said more than 1.7 million voter registration activities were recorded.

Nearly 292 000 South Africans registered as first-time voters, while more than 1.5 million registered voters inspected or updated their registration details. Young people under the age of 29 accounted for 46% of all new registrations, while women made up 56% of all registration activity.

The June and August registration weekends collectively added more than 754 000 new voters to the voters’ roll, which now exceeds 29 million registered voters.

The commission has urged eligible citizens not to wait until the last minute, warning that registration platforms become increasingly busy as the deadline approaches.

Residents can also check their registration status by sending an SMS to 32810 or by contacting the IEC through its contact centre or WhatsApp support service.

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