Preliminary local government election results are expected to start coming in from the provincial results centre around midnight as voting across the province enters its final hours ahead of the 21:00 closing time.

Mpumalanga IEC spokesperson Thanduxolo Chembeni said the majority of voting stations opened on time today, November 4, with only a few minor delays reported.

With only a few hours remaining, voters who have not yet cast their ballots are encouraged to make their way to their designated voting station before it closes.

IEC resolves Sand River voting delays

Chembeni noted that concerns were raised by party representatives about special-vote ballot boxes missing from some voting stations in Sand River in the Hazyview area, causing delays.

He said the ballot boxes were supposed to remain sealed at voting stations from the morning. He clarified that the problem was resolved and residents in the area were able to vote.

Stations enforce 21:00 queue cut-off

Chembeni added that voting stations are scheduled to close at 21:00. However, voters who are already in the queue by closing time will be allowed to cast their ballots, regardless of how many people remain in the queue.

“At stations without fences, police officers or election personnel will mark the end of the queue at 21:00 to ensure that no additional voters join after the official closing time. Everyone needs to adhere to that,” he said.

Stations transition into counting centres

Chembeni added that once voting closes, stations will transition into counting centres. Election staff will take a short 10–15-minute break before counting begins.

“The counting process will be conducted in the presence of political party agents, independent observers and other authorised personnel,” said Chembeni. “Ballot papers will be reconciled against the number of votes received before being sorted according to their colours, namely white, green and yellow.”

According to Chembeni, ballots will be distributed to political parties in batches of 10 for verification. Any ballot paper considered unclear will be discussed before a decision is made.

Once counting is completed, results will be recorded on official result slips, which must be signed by representatives of the participating political parties. Copies will be displayed at voting station entrances to promote transparency.