IEC Urges South Africans to Register Before Voters' Roll Closes

Mamabolo said the IEC has completed all operational preparations for the nationwide registration drive.

The Electoral Commission (IEC) has called on all eligible South Africans to use the weekend of 1 and 2 August 2026 to register to vote or update their registration details, describing it as the final in-person voter registration opportunity before the 2026 Local Government Elections.

Speaking on the Commission's state of readiness, IEC Chief Executive Officer Sy Mamabolo said the registration weekend is the last chance for eligible citizens to be added to the voters' roll or update their addresses before the election date is officially announced.

Thousands of voting stations ready

Mamabolo said the IEC has completed all operational preparations for the nationwide registration drive.

A total of 23,699 voting stations will operate across South Africa on Saturday and Sunday, following a slight adjustment from the previous 23,706 voting districts to improve voting station arrangements based on activity recorded during the first registration weekend.

All registration stations will be open from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., with 48,212 trained electoral officials deployed to assist citizens with voter registration, address updates and verification of registration details.

The Commission encouraged people who have moved since they last registered to update their residential information to ensure they can vote at the correct voting station.

Digital registration continues to grow

The IEC reported strong public participation following the first registration weekend held on 20 and 21 June 2026, during which more than 3 million registration transactions were recorded.

Since then, the Commission has processed more than 815,000 additional registration transactions, with approximately 603,572 (74%) completed through the Online Voter Registration (OVR) portal.

Online registration has been particularly popular in Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal and the Western Cape.

Women account for 61% of online registrations, while young people aged 16 to 29 years have contributed 50% of all online transactions, highlighting growing adoption of digital registration services.

To support the registration campaign, the Department of Home Affairs will extend its services during the weekend to assist eligible voters who need identity documents.

Registration closes after election date is announced

Mamabolo said once the registration weekend concludes, the Commission expects the Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (CoGTA) to officially proclaim the date of the 2026 Local Government Elections.

The voters' roll will automatically close at midnight on the day the election is proclaimed. After that deadline, no new voter registrations or changes to existing registration details will be accepted until after the elections, and the online voter registration portal will be deactivated.

The IEC also confirmed that the Electoral Code of Conduct under the Municipal Electoral Act will come into effect once the election is proclaimed. The Code is intended to promote free and fair elections by encouraging tolerance, peaceful campaigning and open political debate.

Mamabolo stressed that so-called "no-go zones" are inconsistent with both the spirit and the provisions of the Code and reminded political parties, candidates and independent contestants that they are required to comply with its provisions.

The Commission also announced that its Online Candidate Nomination System is now active, allowing political parties and independent candidates to begin submitting nominations ahead of the elections.

The IEC urged eligible voters not to wait until the last minute, warning that registration channels typically experience a surge in demand as deadlines approach.