The Electoral Commission (IEC) says more than 238 000 voter transactions were recorded by midday (August 1) as the final voter registration weekend for the 2026 Local Government Elections got off to a strong start across South Africa.

According to the IEC, more than 99% of the country’s 23 699 voting stations opened on time at 08:00, marking the start of the final voting station-based registration opportunity before the elections.

By 12:00, the commission had recorded more than 238 000 interactions from citizens at voting stations and through its online voter registration portal.

Most of the transactions involved voters updating their registration details to ensure they are correctly registered ahead of the 2026 Local Government Elections on November 4. New registrations accounted for 13.4% of all transactions, or about 30 000 people.

The majority of transactions, 198 232, were processed at voting stations, while 20 078 were completed through the IEC’s data-free online voter registration portal.

Provincial turnout highlights

KZN recorded the highest number of voter transactions at 55 759, followed by the Eastern Cape with 46 889 and Gauteng with 41 774.

Other provinces also recorded significant voter activity, including Limpopo (29 680), the Western Cape (19 693), Mpumalanga (17 218), North West (15 610), the Free State (13 110) and the Northern Cape (6 213).

The IEC said the figures were consistent with historical patterns and reflected population densities across the provinces.

Operating hours and online access

Voting stations will remain open until 17:00 and reopen at 08:00 tomorrow. The commission urged eligible voters to use the remaining registration period to register, verify and update their details.

While online registration remains available, the IEC warned that users of the data-free registration platform could experience delays because of high volumes. Voters encountering difficulties are encouraged to try again later or visit their voting station.

The online voter registration portal will remain open until the election is officially proclaimed.

Registered voters can verify their details online, through the IEC app, by contacting the IEC Contact Centre on 0800 11 8000, or by sending their ID number via SMS to 32810 at a cost of R1 per SMS.

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