508 POLITICAL PARTIES TO CONTEST 2026 LOCAL GOVERNMENT ELECTIONS
ONLINE EDITOR @KASIBC_AFRICA
508 POLITICAL PARTIES TO CONTEST 2026 LOCAL GOVERNMENT ELECTIONS
The Electoral Commission is encouraged by the number of South Africans who have acted on the call to register and update their details through various convenient platforms ahead of the upcoming local government general elections in 2026/27.
From January to September 2025, over 305 206 new voters registered, while 60 752 voters updated their registration details.
The highest number of new registrations occurred in September with 71 324, followed by August, 51 714, and February, 39 967.
Period /New Registration /Re-Registrations
January 2025 -17 138 -4 476
February 2025 -39 967 -7 631
March 2025 -33 583 -4 836
April 2025 -17 828 -9 191
May 2025 -28 943 -6 334
June 2025 -21 022 -5 022
July 2025 -23 687 -7 911
August 2025 -51 714 -6 732
September 2025 -71 324 -8 619
Total: -305 206 -60 752
Of this total of registered voters, 76.8% of voters were captured via the Voter Management Devices (VMD), 12% used the online registration portal, and 10% visited their local IEC office. This is a reflection that more and more South Africans, especially young first-time voters, are embracing digital innovation and the Electoral Commission’s ongoing drive to make registration simpler and smarter.
Despite this registration activity, a lot more citizens must still register, and we encourage all eligible voters to use the convenience of the self-registration platform to register to vote or update their voter details. Voters are urged to register where they live and vote at the voting station where they are registered. A registered voter who has moved since they last registered should check their voting district and voting station status and, if necessary, update their address details to ensure that they are registered in a ward linked to their new place of residence.
On 14 October, the Portfolio Committee on Home Affairs received the Electoral Commission’s 2024/25 Annual Report, reflecting our strong performance and commitment to excellence. The report, which outlines our achievements for the 2024/25 financial year, is available on our website.
The Electoral Commission continues to demonstrate strong performance across all operational areas, including electoral operations, political funding, civic and democracy education, and governance. Building on five consecutive clean audits, the Commission is proud to have achieved 92% of its key performance targets during the 2024/25 financial year.
The Electoral Commission reports a 90% compliance rate among represented political parties, with 18 of 20 submitting audited financial statements for 2024/25. Build One SA and the National Coloured Congress (CCC) have been issued formal directions for non-submission on the due date of 30 September 2025.
Among 438 unrepresented parties, only 28% complied with the requirement to submit financial records accompanied by an affidavit.
Therefore, 304 unrepresented parties have also been served with directions. The Commission continues to emphasise that all parties are legally and ethically obliged to maintain proper financial records and will continue to promote compliance, capacity-building, and accountability under the Political Funding Act.
Analysis for substantive compliance is currently under way.
Electronic Voting (e-voting)
The 30th of September 2025 marked the conclusion of the national consultation process on the feasibility and future of electronic voting (e-voting). The consultations allowed South Africans to share their views and perspectives on the potential introduction of digital voting in the country.
The Electoral Commission extends its appreciation to all South Africans who actively participated in the public consultations on the policy document. Engagements were undertaken across all nine provinces to ensure inclusive and wide-reaching input. These stakeholder sessions were open and consultative, providing opportunities for direct public participation and engagement by citizens across the country.
In total, more than 20 stakeholder engagement workshops were held in all nine provinces, and over 200 written submissions were received through online and email platforms from ordinary South Africans.
Key highlights emerging from the consultations include:
A cautious, phased, and pilot-driven approach to the adoption of electronic voting technologies.
The adoption of a hybrid voting system, combining the current manual paper ballot with poll-site e-voting technologies.
Strong support for a nationwide voter education programme on e-voting technologies.
A focus on ensuring accessibility for all citizens, including those in rural areas and persons with disabilities.
The need for significant public investment in digital infrastructure across the country.
The development of a robust legislative framework prior to the introduction of e-voting technologies.
The Electoral Commission is in the process of consolidating feedback received through electronic submissions and in-person consultations. Once finalised, the revised draft policy paper will be submitted to Parliament for consideration. Upon conclusion, the final report will be published for public consumption to ensure transparency and public access to the outcomes of the consultations.
Needless to say, e-voting is not intended for use in the forthcoming general elections of municipal councils.
ROAD TO LGE 2026/27
Legislative amendments
Ahead of the general elections of the municipal councils, the Commission has put forward a proposal for legislative amendments to electoral legislation. The primary subject of this proposed amendment is section 15 of the Electoral Act. Currently, this section allows objections to the voters’ roll at any stage. The proposed amendments seek to:
Limit objections to the provisionally compiled voters’ roll rather than the certified roll for an election.
Provide for remedies which the Commission could consider in deciding an objection to a provisionally compiled voters’ roll. Such remedies could include the removal of an address where such is in dispute thereby providing a voter with the opportunity to provide a correct address before voting.
Automatically de-register unrepresented political parties that fail to notify the Chief Electoral Officer of their continued existence by the prescribed date.
Restrict candidate nominations to those political parties that are already registered on the date on which an election is called.
The Commission is scheduled to present the draft bill to the Portfolio Committee on Home Affairs on 18 November 2025.
The Municipal Demarcation Board (MDB) has briefed the Commission on progress with the ward delimitation process and the timeline for the handover of final ward boundaries. The final list of wards will be officially handed over during a ceremony to be held in early December 2025.
This will enable the Electoral Commission to proceed with the next phase of preparations for LGE 2026/7 including aligning voting district boundaries to final wards as determined by the MDB.
It is also important for voters to regularly verify and update their registration details to ensure they remain correctly registered in the wards of ordinary residence. This is particularly crucial following the most recent ward delimitation process undertaken by the MDB, which may have resulted in boundary adjustments across several wards. These changes could affect a voter’s ward, thereby influencing where they will cast their ballot in the upcoming elections.
Conduct of by-elections
From April 2025 to date, the Commission has administered 57 ward by-elections. The highest number of vacancies arose in the Eastern Cape and Gauteng municipalities, both with 11 ward vacancies, followed by the Western Cape with 9 ward vacancies. KwaZulu-Natal had seven ward vacancies. The overall average voter turnout for these by-elections was below 45%.
Between August and October 2025, the Electoral Commission successfully delivered 22 ward by-elections, demonstrating its continued readiness and operational efficiency ahead of the 2026/7 LGE. None of the by-election results have been contested or set aside.
Cessation of By-Elections
The conduct of by-elections is regulated by the Local Government: Municipal Structures Act 117 of 1998, which generally requires a by-election to fill a vacancy within 90 days. However, to avoid voter confusion and administrative challenges when a by-election occurs close to a general municipal election, Section 25(6) creates an exception. The exception is that by-elections cease if the next general election of all municipal councils is within nine calendar months.
The nine-month period is computed from the outer date on which a general election may be called, that is 30 January 2027. Therefore, cessation of by-elections takes effect on 30 April 2026. This date relates to the occurrence of the vacancy, not the holding of the by-election, meaning by-elections can still take place after this date if the vacancy arose earlier.
Proportional Representation Councillor Replacements
The cessation period does not apply to PR councillors, whose vacancies may be filled until the eve of the general elections. The Proportional Representative (PR) councillors’ vacancies can only be filled by the chief electoral officer declaring a replacement councillor elected. Upon a PR vacancy occurring a party typically has 21 days to amend their reserve list and which the chief electoral officer must declare a candidate on top of the reserve list elected.
Between April and October 2025, the Electoral Commission replaced 183 proportional representative councillors. On average, the Electoral Commission replaces 377 PR councillors in a financial year.
Registration of Political Parties
Since the 2024 National and Provincial Elections, the Commission has registered a total of 62 new political parties. Fourteen (14) of the new parties were registered in the period between August and October 2025. Currently, the total number of registered political parties is 508. Of these, 295 are registered at a national level, while the balance of 404 are either registered provincially or at the district or metro municipal level.
Registration of Political Parties
New political parties -62
Registered political parties in total -508
Registered at national level -295
Registered at provincial, district or metro level -404
Country-wide information workshops
The Electoral Commission has also finalised a schedule of countrywide information workshops for potential electoral contestants. These workshops are scheduled for November 2025. These workshops are aimed at equipping unrepresented political parties, still to be registered parties, and aspiring independent candidates with the necessary information to ensure their successful participation in the upcoming elections.
Details are as follows:
Province /Date /Location
Eastern Cape -18 November 2025 -East London
Free State
-19 November 2025 -Bloemfontein
Northern Cape
-20 November 2025 -Kimberley
KwaZulu-Natal
-25 November 2025 -Durban
Mpumalanga
-27 November 2025 -Mbombela
Limpopo
-28 November 2025 -Polokwane
North West
-02 November 2025 -Rustenburg or Mafikeng
Western Cape
-04 November 2025 -Cape Town
Gauteng
-17 November 2025 -Johannesburg
*Dates may be adjusted owing to the availability of venues
Outreach events
The Electoral Commission’s nationwide voter education drive in quarter two reached more than 2.6 million people through over 18 000 community events held across all nine provinces. These engagements focused on encouraging and preparing first-time voters, promoting active participation, and fostering responsible citizenship among young South Africans ahead of future elections.
Province /Number of Events /Number of People reached
KwaZulu-Natal
-4 224 -317 363
Eastern Cape
-2 729 -415 184
Gauteng
-2 480 -81 788
Western Cape
-1 905 -46 495
Limpopo
-2 387 -1 445 237
Northern Cape
-660 -185 141
Mpumalanga
-1 547 -46 473
Free State
-1 124 -25 693
North West
-1 581 -45 708
Total
-18 637 -2 609 352
Filling of Vacancies in the Electoral Commission
The Electoral Commission extends its gratitude to the Chief Justice and the panel members for expediting the process and working diligently to ensure its swift finalisation. We also wish to thank the Speaker of Parliament, the Chairperson of the Portfolio Committee on Home Affairs, and all Committee members for their commitment and support in ensuring the timely conclusion of this important process.
The Commission welcomes the announcement by President Cyril Ramaphosa of the appointment of Ms Joyce Pitso, Judge Dhaya Pillay, and Mr Mosotho Moepya as Commissioners of the Electoral Commission on 3 November 2025.
We welcome the finalisation of this important process, which ensures that the Commission continues to function with the necessary quorum to make key decisions, including the adjudication of objections, the appointing of staff and ongoing oversight regarding the delivery of the general elections of municipal councils.
Conclusion
In conclusion, fellow South Africans, as we look ahead to 2026, we call on all eligible voters to get ready to make your voices heard at the ballot box! Now is the time to register to vote and ensure your voters’ roll details are up to date. Visit Registertovote.elections.org.za today – the process is quick, safe, and easy. Your vote is your power, and democracy starts with you taking action today.
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