Why are people voting today? What you need to know about the special vote

Special voting for South Africa’s local government elections officially began Monday morning, with millions of voters set to cast their ballots ahead of Wednesday’s main poll.

According to data released by the Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC), the IEC approved a record 2 655 067 special vote applications for this election cycle.

The approved special voters represent a key segment of the roughly 29.9 million South Africans registered on the national voters’ roll for the 2026 local polls.

Speaking at the National Results Operations Centre (ROC) in Midrand, Chief Electoral Officer Sy Mamabolo assured the public of the commission’s operational readiness, confirming that approximately 127 000 electoral staff members have been deployed nationwide to manage the two-day early voting period.

The special voting window runs across Monday, 2 November, and Tuesday, 3 November, with operations open strictly between 8am and 5pm on both days.

The commission noted that special voting serves as an essential constitutional mechanism designed to prevent disenfranchisement due to physical limitations, severe illness, pregnancy, shift work, or pre-scheduled travel.

Do I need to go to the voting station?

The IEC’s special voting process caters to voters under two distinct operational formats:

Home visits for vulnerable citizens: Electoral officials, escorted by security personnel and accompanied by accredited political party agents, are conducting door-to-door visits to reach registered voters who are unable to travel due to advanced age, disability, or physical illness.

Early voting at registered stations: A total of 1 976 542 voters have been authorised to cast their ballots early at their designated voting stations during the Monday and Tuesday hours.

IEC Chairperson Mosotho Moepya reminded early voters that strict boundary rules apply, meaning individuals must cast their special vote at the specific voting station where they are registered.

“Voters registered for home visits must remain at their provided residential addresses during the operating hours over the next two days to ensure electoral teams can assist them,” Mamabolo added.

What stops me voting today and Wednesday?

To preserve ballot secrecy and prevent double voting, special votes are processed using a double-envelope protocol.

Once a voter marks their ballot paper inside the private voting booth, the paper is folded and placed into an unmarked securing envelope.

This envelope is then placed into a labelled outer envelope containing the voter’s name, ID number, and district number. This outer layer verifies that the ballot was cast by an authorised special voter and prevents duplicate voting.

When are these votes counted?

The sealed ballot boxes will remain locked and guarded until polls close nationwide at 9pm on Wednesday, 4 November.

Election officials will then open the outer envelopes, separate them from the inner unmarked envelopes, and mix the ballots into the general vote pool to guarantee complete anonymity before counting begins.

What if I didn’t apply for a special vote?

General voting for all remaining registered voters will take place on Wednesday, 4 November, with voting stations operating from 7am to 9pm.

Voters are reminded that they must bring a valid South African green barcoded ID book, smart ID card, or valid temporary identity certificate to vote.

How do I know if I am registered to vote today or Wednesday?

Members of the public can confirm their registration status and find their specific voting station by sending an SMS with their 13-digit ID number to 32810, or by accessing the IEC website.