Residents across Johannesburg are heading to the polls today as the 2026 Local Government Elections get under way.

Voters in wards across the northern suburbs, including Wards 67, 72, 73, 74, 87 and 117, will have the opportunity to elect their ward councillors and cast their proportional representation votes, with voting stations scheduled to remain open from 07:00 to 21:00.

Also read: Who are the Ward 87 councillor candidates for 2026?

Local government elections give residents an opportunity to have a direct say in who represents their communities and makes decisions affecting their daily lives. From service delivery and electricity interruptions to water supply, road maintenance, refuse collection and the upkeep of public spaces, municipal decisions have a direct impact on neighbourhoods.

By casting their votes, residents can help determine who will represent their interests and raise local concerns at council level.

The elections will determine who represents local communities in the City of Johannesburg council for the next municipal term.

Updates on voter turnout, polling station activity and election developments will follow throughout the day.

21:30 Counting begins as voting wraps up across Rosebank and Killarney wards

Residents across several wards in the Rosebank Killarney Gazette’s coverage area headed to the polls, with voting largely running smoothly as the 2026 Local Government Elections drew to a close.

While several voting stations experienced long queues earlier in the day, ward representatives reported that these had eased considerably by the evening, with voting activity slowing as polls closed at 21:00.

Ward 73 and Ward 74 turnout

In Ward 73, Rise Mzansi candidate Malik Dasoo, who was at Greenside Primary School during his final visit, said he had not heard of any interruptions at the voting stations he had visited. He described the day as smooth, with voters behaving well and no reports of skirmishes.

Dasoo said turnout appeared decent but had slowed considerably after 13:00, with fewer residents coming out to vote during the afternoon.

In Ward 74, councillor Belinda Kayser-Echeozonjoku said turnout varied across voting districts, with some recording figures above 50%, while others, including Bramley, were slower.

She reported a significant surge before 19:00, which resulted in long queues, followed by residents continuing to arrive steadily as voting drew to a close.

Participation across wards 81, 87, 90 and 117

In Ward 81, candidate Daniel Kalyan described the election-day process as smooth, with no major operational issues reported. Although voting lines had been long at points during the day, Kalyan expected stations to close on schedule, with counting to begin after a short break, estimating the ward’s overall turnout at about 50%.

In Ward 87, DA candidate Jonathan Thompson reported a turnout of 50%, adding that voting had proceeded smoothly. He praised the IEC for its work throughout the day.

In Ward 90, DA candidate Renate van Onselen reported that 9 063 of the ward’s 17 777 registered voters had cast their ballots, representing a turnout of 50.98%.

Hyde Park High recorded the highest turnout at 56.06%, followed by George Lea at 55%, Dunkeld at 48.52% and Craighall Primary at 44.01%.

Ward 117 candidate Eleanor Huggett also confirmed that all four voting stations had been packed up, with the remainder of the day proceeding smoothly at Parkhurst, Saxonwold, Rosebank and Craighall Park.

She praised IEC officials for being helpful and considerate, adding that voters appeared cheerful and happy throughout the day.

Counting process begins

Meanwhile, Ward 117 outgoing councillor Tim Truluck said voting had slowed considerably by around 20:00, with the ward likely to finish with a turnout in the early 60% range.

He said party representatives and counters had arrived at voting stations and were working with IEC officials to ensure ballot books were accounted for, unused ballots were reconciled and the necessary checks were completed before counting began.

Truluck expected counting to start between 21:30 and 22:00, with preliminary results potentially becoming available from around 02:00, depending on the progress at individual voting stations, and hoped results would be displayed at the stations by about 06:00.

The IEC has confirmed that special votes cast on Monday and Tuesday are securely stored and will be counted alongside ballots cast on Election Day. Results are tallied per voting station as part of the overall election results. Official results are published through the commission’s results portal.

17:04

Ward 90 and Ward 117 report election-day turnout updates

Ward 117 councillor Tim Truluck reported steady voting this afternoon, with 5 921 of the ward’s 14 770 registered voters having cast their ballots by 14:00, representing a 40% turnout.

Blairgowrie recorded a turnout of 43%, followed by Parkhurst at 42.5% and Rosebank at 42%, while Saxonwold lagged behind at 33%.

Truluck said the ward was averaging approximately 845 voters an hour, putting it on course for a possible 80% turnout if the pace continued.

He noted an early-afternoon slowdown, but expected voting activity to pick up again around 17:00. There were no queues at the time of his update.

Meanwhile, according to the DA’s Ward 90 election-day update, 7 325 of the ward’s 17 777 registered voters had cast their ballots, representing a turnout of 41.20%.

Hyde Park High recorded a turnout of 46.33%, followed by George Lea at 45.83%, Dunkeld at 44.33% and Craighall Primary at 31.21%.

Just after 16:00, DA Ward 90 candidate Renate van Onselen reported that Craighall Primary, the ward’s largest voting district, was operating with only two voting streams instead of the planned four.

She said she had asked the Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) to consider adding another stream to speed up voting. The other stations were operating without reported issues.

16:00

What was described as a busy morning has now turned into a quiet voting afternoon at Parktown High School for Girls.

Locals who stayed away in the morning are slowly turning up this afternoon for an easy and quick voting process.

A voter, Jane Webb, said she’s always voted in the afternoons. “I prefer voting in the afternoon to avoid long queues and to have an easy process which is what happened here today.”

Webb encouraged citizens and youth who haven’t come out to vote to do so as it was an important part of active citizenry.

Lunchtime update 13:30: Ward councillors report steady voting as residents continue heading to the polls

Ward councillors and candidates have shared updates on voting progress across their communities as residents cast their ballots in the 2026 Local Government Elections.

Ward 74 councillor Belinda Kayser-Echeozonjoku said voting had generally gone well, although party agents lodged two formal objections at Haddon Primary School during the morning.

The first concerned voters allegedly being issued with two proportional representation (PR) ballots, while the second involved a voter receiving a PR ballot but not a ward ballot, despite appearing on the voters’ roll.

Kayser-Echeozonjoku said the presiding officer addressed both matters after the objections were raised, including removing the officials involved from their previous workstations.

She described HA Jack Primary School as the ward’s busiest voting district and said vigilant party agents had helped identify the irregularities.

“Fortunately, the presiding officer immediately rectified the situation,” she said, adding that voting elsewhere in the ward appeared to be running smoothly.

In Ward 73, Rise Mzansi candidate Malik Dasoo visited Houghton Primary School and noted that feedback from party agents remained positive, with no issues reported.

He said voter numbers appeared to be thinning out by lunchtime, describing turnout as decent, although he did not yet have access to official figures.

DA Ward 73 candidate Dominic Bauer also reported that voting stations were operating smoothly, with minimal congestion and short waiting times.

He said Patterson Park had been quieter during the morning, while Killarney Country Club attracted attention following a visit by a former president.

Bauer said it was too early to determine whether the relatively quiet stations reflected efficient operations or lower voter participation. He planned to review more comprehensive figures at around 17:00.

Meanwhile, Ward 117 DA candidate Eleanor Huggett said voting stations in Parkhurst, Blairgowrie, Saxonwold and at Rosebank Primary School were operating smoothly.

She praised IEC officials for being efficient, friendly and helpful, and encouraged residents who had not yet voted to make their way to their nearest voting station before polls close at 21:00.

With several hours of voting remaining, ward representatives will continue monitoring activity as residents make their voices heard.

13:00 Thabo Mbeki casts his vote at Killarney Country Club

The former president warns that fragmented election outcomes will lead to hung councils as political leaders weigh in on local governance. Read the full article here: Thabo Mbeki casts his vote at Killarney Country Club, Johannesburg

11:28 South African President Cyril Ramaphosa casts his vote at Hyde Park High School

10:00 Ward 117 records nearly 2 000 votes in first two hours

Nearly 2 000 residents had cast their ballots across Ward 117 within the first two hours of voting, in what councillor Tim Truluck described as an exceptionally strong start to election day.
By 09:00, 1 981 voters had visited the ward’s voting stations, with Blairgowrie recording the highest number at 647. Saxonwold followed with 504, while Parkhurst recorded 470 and Rosebank 360.

“I haven’t seen figures like this in a long time,” Truluck said.

Although the Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) had a few initial hiccups setting up its systems and equipment, he said these had since been resolved, and voting was running smoothly.

Queues varied between voting stations, with Saxonwold reporting relatively short waiting times of approximately five to 10 minutes, while Parkhurst had longer queues outside.

Blairgowrie also recorded a notably high turnout, despite being one of the ward’s smaller voting stations.
“All in all, everything is going really well. Everybody is very happy and chilled. As far as I know, in Ward 117, there’s been no problems,” he said.

Truluck was stationed at Saxonwold as a DA voting station captain, while fellow ward representative Eleanor Huggett was visiting the ward’s other voting stations to monitor proceedings.

08:35

It’s all systems go at Hyde Park High School, where President Cyril Ramaphosa is expected to cast his ballot.

SAPS and JMPD officers are also present to ensure a seamless, safe voting process.
Locals have turned up in numbers, eager to make their mark and make a change.

Voter Daniel Burini, who accompanied his grandmother in a wheelchair, said the voting process was seamless and that he was happy with how quickly it went.

08:21

Ward 81 reports busy voting stations and long queues

, ward 81 representative Daniel Kalyan, who was at Rembrandt Park when contacted, said voting was progressing smoothly, with no issues reported so far.

“It’s super, super busy. There are long lines at all voting stations. Everything is running smoothly so far, no issues,” he said. Kalyan added that he expected a good turnout for the election and said he would also be visiting River Park during the day.

Objection lodged over ballot access

Voting in Ward 74 was progressing well by 08:31 as residents cast their ballots in the 2026 Local Government Elections, according to ward councillor Belinda Kayser-Echeozonjoku.

Kayser-Echeozonjoku said early indications were encouraging, with residents coming out to vote and the atmosphere at voting stations remaining friendly.

However, concerns arose after special voting at Bramley yesterday, where some residents on the voters’ roll were reportedly turned away from voting for their ward candidates or issued only proportional representation (PR) ballots.

Kayser-Echeozonjoku said a formal objection was lodged with the IEC after the biometric voter management system reportedly flagged some registered voters as outside the ward boundary.

She said the issue needed to be addressed to ensure eligible voters could cast both ballots.
“The presiding officers seem to have received the information that if someone is on the voters’ roll, they must be allowed to exercise their right on both ballots,” she said.

Kayser-Echeozonjoku added that the matter was expected to be resolved during election day, while voting continued across the ward.

Ward 73 voting stations open on time amid QR code dispute

Voting stations across Ward 73 opened on time, with no major operational issues reported by mid-morning, according to DA candidate Dominic Bauer.

Bauer said the Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) had opened all voting stations as scheduled. However, tensions arose at several locations within ward 73 after presiding officers reportedly prevented DA representatives from using QR codes that allow voters to access the party’s internal information.

He said the matter had been escalated to the IEC’s senior management after the party’s representatives were allegedly stopped from using the codes at some voting stations.

The disagreement reportedly led to heated verbal exchanges in Norwood and other voting areas, with police called to the scene.

“There was no fighting, but there was verbal fighting,” Bauer said, explaining that some people had objected to the QR codes because other parties did not have similar codes.

Bauer, who was at Houghton when contacted, said he was moving between voting stations throughout the day.

Despite the dispute, he said voting was otherwise progressing well, with no further issues reported.

08:12

Voting stations across Ward 117 were operating smoothly by 08:06, according to candidate Eleanor Huggett.

Huggett said there had been a slight delay at Parkhurst after the system went offline, but confirmed that it was back up and running.

Read more: Who are the Ward 87 councillor candidates for 2026?

08:00

Rise Mzansi candidates report smooth voting in wards 73 and 87.

Voting appeared to be progressing without any major issues in wards 73 and 87 by 07:52, said Rise Mzansi candidate Malik Dasoo, who is currently at Killarney Country Club. “

No issues that we’ve noticed so far, and turnout is pretty decent. It’s quite busy right now, actually, with quite a long line to go in and vote,” he said.

Dasoo added that he did not yet have the overall turnout figures.

07:15

Voters head to polls across Ward 90 and Ward 117

In Ward 90, current ward councillor Renate van Onselen reported encouraging early turnout at Dunkeld Bowls Club, where the queue had already stretched down Hume Road.

“The queue here is standing down Hume Road. It’s already almost by the bottom gate,” she said.

Also read: Who are the Ward 117 councillor candidates for 2026?

However, Van Onselen said there had been some initial operational challenges at Craighall Primary School and George Lea Sports Park, where voting station staff experienced difficulties sealing ballot boxes, causing confusion and delays.

She also reported initial confusion regarding the arrangement of entrances and exits at Craighall Primary School, which was eventually resolved.

Early teething troubles

Meanwhile, in Ward 117, current councillor Tim Truluck said he would be overseeing election statistics while serving as voting station captain at Saxonwold, with Eleanor moving between voting stations.

Also read: Who are the Ward 117 councillor candidates for 2026?

Truluck said turnout would be a key factor in assessing how the election was progressing, adding that they had modelled possible turnout scenarios of 65%, 70% and 75%.

On the ground at Craighall Primary School, journalist Asanda Matlhare reported that the voting station was relatively quiet, with queues moving slowly as only five people were being allowed through at a time. “Other than that, there are no problems,” she said.

Also read: Who are the Ward 74 councillor candidates for 2026?

06:55

Craighall residents have headed the call and taken to the polls on November 4 to cast their ballots.
A snaking queue can be seen along Grosvenor Avenue with people patiently waiting to be let in.

The publication is on site and will be talking to residents who have taken the decision to cast their votes.

Residents are encouraged to make use of their opportunity to vote and have a say in the future of their communities.

Voting stations are scheduled to close at 21:00, with further updates on turnout, polling station activity and any developments expected throughout the day.