South Africa’s countdown to the 2026 Local Government Elections is officially underway after the Electoral Commission (IEC) published the election timetable, setting key deadlines for voters, political parties and independent candidates ahead of the 4 November municipal polls.
The publication follows the proclamation of Election Day by Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs Minister Velenkosini Hlabisa and marks the start of the IEC’s 89-day election programme.
IEC Chairperson Mosotho Moepya said the Commission currently has 674 registered political parties, highlighting the competitive nature of the upcoming local government elections.
“The register of political parties currently stands at 674 registered parties, reflecting the depth and diversity of political participation in South Africa. The high number of district-level parties highlights the expected political contestation in local government elections at community level,” said Moepya.
The registered parties include 330 national, 32 provincial, 257 district and 55 metropolitan parties.
The IEC confirmed that the voters’ roll will close at midnight on Friday, after which no new registrations or changes to voter details will be accepted for the elections.
The provisional voters’ roll will be available for public inspection from 11 to 18 August, while the final certified voters’ roll will be published on 26 August.
Candidate nominations opened on Friday and will close at 17:00 on 28 August, with parties and independent candidates able to submit nominations online or at municipal IEC offices.
The Commission also reported strong public engagement during the registration period, recording more than 210,000 additional voter registration transactions since the second registration weekend. Overall, nearly two million voter interactions have been recorded, while more than 14,300 registrations have been processed through the IEC’s WhatsApp registration service since its launch on 3 August.
Applications for special votes will open on 21 September and close on 12 October. The final list of candidates will be published on 16 September, with certificates of candidacy to be issued on 25 September.
The IEC has urged all eligible South Africans to ensure they are correctly registered before the voters’ roll closes, reminding citizens that they may only vote in the voting district where they are registered.
