Here’s how many more candidates are on the IEC ballot in 2026 despite ANC’s missing submissions

A record number of candidates will be eligible for the 2026 local government elections to be held on 4 November.

The Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) on Wednesday announced the numbers behind the finalised list of candidates and parties to contest this year’s vote.

The briefing was held against the backdrop of the ANC having its Electoral Court appeal against the IEC dismissed, shutting out its late candidate submissions.

While the ANC earlier signalled it would seek legal clarification on the order, it faces the real risk of not fielding 181 potential councillors from six municipalities.

An analyst warned that should the matter not be resolved in the ANC’s favour, it could prove to be a seismic moment in the party’s post-freedom history.

30% more candidates than 2021

IEC CEO Sy Mamabolo explained that parties had two options to submit their documents – either by manual submission or via the online portal.

Most chose the online option, with 84% preferring this over the 16% still using the in-person method.

After the initial deadline, 221 parties representing 1 280 candidates were requested to resubmit improperly completed ID documents and completed acceptance of nomination forms.

These parties had until 7 September to do so, with the IEC set to release the full list of names eligible to run later on Wednesday.

Mamabolo noted that there had been a 30% increase in the 95 427 approved candidates from the 2021 elections.

“An unprecedented 136 790 candidates have satisfied the statutory requirements to contest seats across eight metropolitan municipalities, 47 district municipalities and 205 local municipalities,” said Mamabolo.

Of the approved candidates, 98 000 will run for ward councillor and 38 000 will run on the proportional representation (PR) ballot.

A total of 10 526 seats will be up grabs, as opposed to 10 478 seats from 2021.

Double-column ballots

Mamabolo explained that the volume of political options will force the IEC to display parties side-by-side on some ballots.

“The high number of political parties contesting PR seats in some municipalities has an implication on the design of the ballot papers.

“For instance, a double-column ballot paper is inevitable where there are more than 48 parties on that PR ballot,” said Mamabolo.

This means that five of the largest and most contested municipalities will not have the candidates displayed in descending alphabetical order.

Johannesburg will have 75 parties on the PR ballot, Tshwane will have 70, eThekwini 69, Ekurhuleni 67 and Cape Town will have 55.

Any ward with more than 48 candidates will also have double-column ballots, with Mamabolo highlighting Ward 18 in Johannesburg as having the highest number of candidates in the country with 63.

ANC in disarray

Mamabolo noted the Electoral Court’s dismissal of the ANC’s application and stated the IEC would now focus on the final election preparations.

“We believe that the outcome creates certainty about those who are eligible to participate and we will implement and proceed with the activities that underpin the election timetable,” said Mamabolo.

Political Analyst Andre Duvenhage earlier said the court’s ruling could have a lasting impact in the legacy of ANC Secretary-General Fikile Mbalula and the party’s president Cyril Ramaphosa.

“You can also see this point from the perspective of poor administration and a complete lack of consensus among the candidates.

“If the current lists of the ANC will be revealed, you would see a lot internal conflict before the elections,” Duvenhage told The Citizen.

Asked whether the ANC’s predicament was possibly a result of friendly fire, Duvenhage said there was high possibility of sabotage within the party.

“I have no doubt that there are forces within the ANC and outside the ANC who would like to see the current system of the ANC fail.

“I believe there is an ongoing project to get rid of the Ramaphosa grouping within the ANC and reunite it with other groupings, like the EFF and MK party, as a strategy towards 2029,” Duvenhage said.