Romania and South Africa Report Voter Registration Growth

Electoral authorities in Romania and South Africa reported updated figures for their national voters' rolls on August 3, 2026. In Romania, the Permanent Electoral Authority announced that 19,031,458 citizens held voting rights as of July 31. This includes more than one million citizens living abroad. The register grew by a net of 3,725 voters in July, as 22,510 citizens reached voting age while 18,607 were removed following their deaths.

Meanwhile, the Electoral Commission of South Africa expanded its roll to approximately 29 million voters ahead of the November 2026 local government elections. The commission added 754,000 first-time voters during registration weekends held in June and August. Since the 2024 general elections, 2.1 million voters have joined the roll.

Chief electoral officer Sy Mamabolo attributed the growth to the use of traditional voting stations and a new WhatsApp registration modality. Mamabolo noted that the registration process continues to show a trend of more women than men appearing on the voters' roll.