Civic organisation Defend Our Democracy (DOD) has deployed 2,433 accredited election observers across all nine provinces to promote transparency, accountability and credible electoral processes during the 2026 Local Government Elections.
According to the organisation, the observers have undergone comprehensive training and will monitor various stages of the electoral process, including voting and the counting of ballots.
In a statement, DOD said its observers would cover 1,515 voting stations across 807 wards and 108 municipalities nationwide.
“In the City of Johannesburg alone, our observers will monitor 263 voting stations across 107 wards. This cohort represents one of the country’s largest citizen-led election observation efforts.
“In partnership with our Election Watch allies, the Joburg Crisis Alliance and C.O.D.E., DOD delivered comprehensive training to all participants. Through a mix of in-person workshops and online learning sessions, observers are fully equipped to carry out their duties professionally, impartially and in strict accordance with South Africa’s electoral laws,” the organisation said.
DOD further indicated that its observers would remain at their assigned voting stations to monitor electoral processes, including the counting of votes, using digital tools to facilitate real-time reporting.
To support this process, field observers will use Vote Monitor, a digital platform developed by Commit Global. The application allows observers to securely capture, record and submit live updates directly from their assigned voting stations.
DOD confirmed that all 2,433 observers had been registered on the platform.
The organisation has called on all stakeholders, including political parties, electoral officials, civil society organisations and voters, to contribute towards maintaining a peaceful electoral environment and ensuring that the elections are free and fair.
