South Africa Begins Special Voting for Local Government Elections

The Electoral Commission of South Africa began administering special voting on November 2 and 3, 2026, ahead of the Local Government Elections scheduled for Wednesday, November 4. Approximately 2.6 million voters were approved for special ballots, representing a 131 percent increase over the 2021 municipal elections. This group includes individuals with physical disabilities or those unable to reach registered stations on election day.

Of the approved voters, 1,976,542 will cast ballots at registered stations, while 678,525 will vote via home visits. Gauteng recorded the highest overall number of special voters at 480,721, while KwaZulu-Natal had the highest number of home visits at 143,000. Women make up 74% of the home-visit demographic. To manage the process, the commission deployed 127,000 officials and distributed 28 million reprinted ballot papers.

Security is being coordinated through the National Joint Operational and Intelligence Structure and the Department of Home Affairs. Officials emphasized that only valid South African identity documents are acceptable for voting, explicitly noting that driver's licenses are not permitted. Special ballots will be stored and reconciled before being counted with general ballots on Wednesday. The commission has urged home-visit voters to remain at their addresses and warned against any conduct that could intimidate voters or obstruct the process.