JOHANNESBURG - The 2026 Local Government Elections enter a new phase on Friday when the election date is officially proclaimed.
The proclamation will close the voters' roll, bring the Electoral Code of Conduct into effect and pave the way for the IEC to publish the official election timetable.
That timetable will outline key deadlines for political parties, independent candidates and voters in the run-up to election day.
"On Friday, the Minister of CoGTA will legally proclaim the election date, but that has important consequences," said IEC CEO Sy Mamabolo.
"The first is that the voters' roll will close. The second is that the Electoral Code of Conduct comes into effect.
"Lastly, it places an obligation on the Commission to publish an election timetable, which will regulate key dates and deadlines."
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Mamabolo said these include when the Commission must publish the inspection voters' roll, when parties and candidates must submit their nomination documents, and when voters must apply for special votes.
"The election timetable is an important roadmap that will guide us through the remainder of the electoral process," he said.
The announcement follows a busy final voter registration weekend.
READ: Majority of youth aged 18-19 not registered to vote -IEC
The IEC says 1.7 million people interacted with the Commission over the two-day registration drive by either registering for the first time or updating their registration details.
KwaZulu-Natal recorded the highest number of registration transactions, followed by Gauteng and the Eastern Cape.
The Commission says the turnout has strengthened the country's readiness for the local government elections.