By Lebone Rodah Mosima
More than 238,000 voter registration transactions had been processed by midday on Saturday as the country’s final in-person voter registration weekend for the 2026 Local Government Elections got underway, with more than 99% of voting stations opening and operating smoothly nationwide.
Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) Chief Electoral Officer, Sy Mamabolo, said the start of the final voter registration weekend marked the last opportunity for eligible voters to register or update their details at voting stations before the elections.
“The Electoral Commission reminds eligible voters that they will not have another convenience of voting station-based registration,” Mamabolo told reporters in Pretoria.
“Voters are urged to use the remaining hours today and tomorrow to register, verify and update their details, ensuring that their information is accurately captured.”
Voting stations will remain open until 5pm on Saturday and reopen from 8am to 5pm on Sunday.
Mamabolo said the 238,000 recorded transactions were predominantly updates by registered voters seeking to confirm or change their voting details ahead of the elections.
“New registrations accounted for 13.4% or approximately 30,000 of the transactions,” he said.
He said 198,232 transactions were processed at voting stations, while the IEC’s free online voter registration portal recorded 20,078 transactions, providing voters with an additional channel to register or update their details.
KwaZulu-Natal recorded the highest number of transactions at 55,759, followed by the Eastern Cape with 46,889 and Gauteng with 41,774.
Mamabolo said the figures were consistent with historical registration trends and reflected the population sizes of the provinces.
While the online registration system remains available, Mamabolo warned that users of the data-free platform could experience delays because of high demand.
He encouraged voters experiencing delays to try again later or visit their nearest voting station to complete their registration.
The online voter registration portal, registertovote.elections.org.za, will remain open until the election is officially proclaimed.
“Nonetheless, the Commission urges citizens to register or update their details now rather than wait until the last minute,” Mamabolo said.
“This will help to avoid unnecessary congestion on the platform in the days and hours leading up to proclamation.”
Registered voters can verify their details through the IEC website, the IEC mobile app, by calling the Electoral Commission’s Contact Centre on 0800 11 8000, or by sending their identity number via SMS to 32810 at a cost of R1 per SMS.
Mamabolo thanked electoral staff, Home Affairs officials, political parties, community leaders, traditional leaders, civil society organisations, observer groups, security agencies and other stakeholders for supporting the registration process.
Explaining why this is the final voter registration weekend, Mamabolo said the electoral timetable is governed by constitutional deadlines.
He said the voter registration period must conclude to allow the Commission to complete other critical electoral processes before polling day.
“It is a factor of a constitutionally defined timeframe, as well as the fact that as a country we do not have limitless resources to continuously do the same exercise over and over again,” he said.
IEC deputy CEO Mashego Sheburi said consultations between the Commission and Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs Minister Velenkosini Hlabisa, as required by law, had been concluded.
“We anticipate that immediately following the registration weekend, the minister will proclaim the election date,” Sheburi said.
“On that date, a number of things will happen, and on our part, at midnight following the proclamation, we will close all registration platforms.”
Sheburi said the proclamation would formally close the voters’ roll for the 2026 Local Government Elections, after which the Commission would proceed with the remaining electoral processes.
He urged eligible voters to use the final two days of station-based registration to register or update their details before the opportunity closes.
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