According to Zille, councillor candidate Daniel Schay told her that the problem had been resolved.
Elections 2026
A ballot paper is seen at an Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) polling station situated at the Sandton Fire Station, 4 November 2026, during the local government elections. Voters are choosing municipal representatives who will be responsible for local governance and service delivery in their communities for the next five years. Picture: Michel Bega/The Citizen
Helen Zille made a serious allegation against the Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) after three voting stations in Ward 72 ran out of ballot papers during the 2026 local government elections on Wednesday.
The affected stations were Summerwood Primary, Glen Hazel Primary and Jabula Recreation Centre in Sandringham.
In a video message to voters, Zille apologised for the disruption.
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View Map“I’m dreadfully sorry that the IEC let us down [by] sending too few ballot papers,” Zille said.
She also alleged that the shortage was not a one-off.
“Truly, that’s the way they sometimes run interference in DA strongholds,” she claimed.
Zille urges affected voters to return and vote DA
According to Zille, DA councillor candidate Daniel Schay told her that the problem had been resolved.
She said anyone who could not cast a ballot earlier still had until 9pm to do so.
Zille also said a formal complaint had been lodged against the IEC.
WATCH: Zille’s message to Ward 72 voters
Schay tells voters in queue to stay put
Schay addressed the shortage at about 10.20am.
According to Schay, the problem hit all three stations, and he advised people planning to vote to wait about an hour.
He described the situation as incompetence on the part of the IEC.
Voters already waiting received clear instructions.
“If you are in the queue, please do not leave the queue; stay in the queue,” Schay said.
He added that the problem would be fixed soon and also appealed to those who had left.
“Please do not leave and not vote,” he stressed.
Four stations affected, as demand outstripped supply
The Citizen understands that the shortage affected four voting stations in Ward 72.
Orange Grove Primary School was the fourth location affected, with voting disrupted for approximately an hour.
At about 10am, IEC officials alerted their regional and area managers that ballots issued earlier in the day had run short, and that demand had outstripped supply.
One official said that, ideally, the number of ballots issued at the opening of voting should have matched the voters’ roll for each station. However, that was not the case.
It became apparent that the stations did not have enough ballots and that promised top-ups would not arrive in time, so voting had to be halted.
The disruption lasted different lengths at different stations. One station shared that voting was affected for only about 10 minutes, while another reported an hour-long delay. At that station, between 50 and 100 voters were left stranded in the hot sun while officials scrambled to escalate the issue so a delivery could be made. Voting resumed once the ballots arrived.
As of 3pm, officials say all voting stations have enough ballots for the rest of the day and that voting is running smoothly.
The Citizen reached out to the IEC for comment and will add its response once received.
