The 2026 Local Government Elections have officially come to an end as voting stations across the country closed their doors at 21:00.

What happens next?

• The counting process at voting stations began immediately after voting stations closed.

• Ballot boxes are opened and verified in the presence of political agents and other authorised persons. 

• Ballots are sorted according to election type and spoilt ballots are set aside. 
• The ballots are reconciled against ballots received, cast and remaining. Accounting for all ballots.
• The votes are counted and the results are recorded on the relevant results forms and transferred to the results slips.
• Results slips are signed, a photo taken with the VMD, pasted at the voting station. The other copy is put in a temper proof bag and escorted to the IEC Local Office for the next stages of the results process.
• Before the results are released, they are individually audited by an independent firm.