Eligble South African voters will cast their vote in the Local Government elections on November 4 which has also been declared a Public Holiday.

When can I vote:

Voting stations will be open between 07:00-21:00. The counting of votes starts once voting stations are closed.

Special votes

• The disabled, the elderly and those who will not be able to vote on voting day due to work commitments, who applied and were approved for special votes will vote on November 2 & 3 at the voting station where they were registered, or during home visits by IEC officials.
• Special votes will be casted from 08:00-17:00. If you were approved for a special vote home visit, ensure that you are at the
  address that you supplied on both days, as IEC officials will not be able to return to your home if you were not there during their visit

Ngwathe wards

The Ngwathe Local Municipality includes the towns of Parys, Vredefort, Edenville, and Koppies and consists of 14 voting wards with 182 ward candidates from 15 listed parties.

Heilbron, previously part of Ngwathe, will form part of Metsimaholo Local Municipality after the local government election.

Find your voting station

Go to the website https:// maps.elections.org.za/vsfinder/ and type in your address to find your voting station.

To vote in the 2026 Local Government Elections, you must be:

• A South African citizen
• 18 years or older
• Registered to vote
• In possession of a green barcoded SA ID Book, a valid Temporary Identity Certificate (TIC), or an ID card
• Only those who are registered for the election and whose names are on the voters’ roll will be able to vote.
• You may only vote at the voting station where you are registered.

What to bring along on voting day?

• Only bring your ID – green ID, smart card or valid Temporary Identification Certificate.

What to expect at the voting station:

• Proof of identity will be asked and IEC officials will check for your name on the voters’ roll.
• Your thumb will be marked to indicate that you did vote.
• When you arrive at a voting station, the ballot papers you receive will depend on the type
  of municipality where you are registered. Those registered in Local Council Municipalities will
  receive three ballots. Voters in Ngwathe Local Municipality will therefore be handed three ballot
  papers – a white coloured Ward ballot, a green coloured PR Ballot, and a yellow-coloured District
  ballot
• You will vote for a political party representative to the District Council on the District ballot.
• You will vote for a Ward Councillor on the Ward Ballot.
• On the PR Ballot, you will vote for a political party to be represented on the relevant council
• Once you have made your choice on the three ballots, your ballot papers go into the ballot box,
  and you will leave the voting station.

How do contestants appear on the ballot?

• The number of contestants in an election determines how the ballot paper is laid out.
• For the 2026 Local Government Elections, a two-column ballot will be used.
• To randomise the party occupying the top position on the ballot, a draw was conducted, and the
  party selected in the draw determined where the alphabetical sequence begins. For example, if a
  party in the Z alphabet cluster is selected through the draw, the ballot will begin with parties in the
  Z cluster before continuing through the alphabet.

Why voting matters so much

In a local government election, you not only vote for the political party and ward councillor of your choice. You also vote for a party to receive proportional representation seats on the municipal council, as well as for the party of your choice to represent you on the district municipal council.

This is why every registered voter receives three separate ballot papers. The importance of the proportional representation vote is that votes cast for a party on the ward candidate ballot paper are added to the proportional representation votes cast for each party to determine the composition of the municipal council. That is why every vote counts and matters.

Made a mistake on the ballot paper? What now?

• If you made a mistake, do not put your ballot paper in the ballot box. Once it goes inside, it cannot be taken out or replaced.
• Go straight to the Presiding Officer or an election officer inside your voting station.
• The Presiding Officer will cancel your ruined ballot paper and issue a new one so you can try again.

Are children allowed in the voting station?

No children under the age of 18 are allowed in votings stations.

Is there assistance for the disabled?

Yes, ask for the presiding officer to assist you. The elderly or persons with disabilities may bring an assistant along, on the condition that the assistant must be 18 years and older.