JOHANNESBURG - The IEC is urging eligible South Africans to register to vote, update their registration details and verify their voting information during this weekend’s nationwide voter registration drive.
The registration weekend, taking place on 20 and 21 June, comes ahead of the 2026 Local Government Elections, which will be held on 4 November.
Speaking during the IEC’s state of readiness briefing on Thursday, Chief Electoral Officer Sy Mamabolo said South Africans who are not yet registered can still do so this weekend either online or at registration stations across the country.
"The voter registration weekend offers an opportunity to ensure that voters’ details are accurately captured and updated," Mamabolo said.
Voters must be registered in the correct ward
The IEC emphasised that local government elections differ from national and provincial elections because voters may only vote at the voting station where they are registered.
"There is no statutory mechanism to vote outside of the voting district in which you are registered," Mamabolo said.
He urged voters to check and update their residential addresses to ensure they are placed in the correct ward and voting district.
"The correct placement of voters in wards is crucial for the delivery of free and fair elections."
The commission said its online self-service portal, launched in 2021, has become an important tool for voter registration and updates.
So far this year, the system has recorded more than 28 million registered voters.
More than 23,700 registration stations available
The IEC said all 23,706 registration stations will be operational from 8am to 5pm on both Saturday and Sunday.
These include:
- 22,718 permanent voting stations
- 960 temporary stations
- 28 mobile stations serving remote communities
KwaZulu-Natal has the highest number of registration stations at 5,021, followed by the Eastern Cape with 4,984; Limpopo with 3,317; Gauteng with 2,832; Mpumalanga with 1,846; North West with 1,730; the Western Cape with 1,623; Free State with 1,614 and the Northern Cape with 739 stations.
According to the IEC, the increase in registration stations compared to the 2021 local government elections is aimed at improving accessibility and participation.
Youth registration remains a priority
The registration drive coincides with Youth Month and the commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the 1976 Soweto uprising.
Mamabolo said more than 70 percent of South Africans aged between 18 and 19 years have not yet registered to vote.
“The Commission therefore urges all eligible youth, especially first-time voters, to seize this opportunity to register and participate in the forthcoming elections,” he said.
The IEC’s tertiary institutions campaign has already reached 269,000 students nationwide, with 158,000 of them registering as new voters.
The commission plans to roll out additional campaigns at universities and colleges in the coming months.
IEC says systems ready
The IEC said it has successfully delivered voter registration materials to all provinces and has 39,000 voter management devices available for use during the registration weekend.
The devices allow for real-time voter verification and registration and can store information offline where network coverage is unavailable.
Mamabolo said independent assessments of both the voter registration app and online registration portal found the systems ready for use.
“The findings identified during these external reviews have been remediated,” he said.
Thousands of staff deployed
More than 42,000 registration staff have been recruited and trained to assist voters during the registration weekend.
Of those appointed, 32,000 are women, 10,000 are men and 22,000 are under the age of 35.
The IEC said more than 34,000 of those employed are currently unemployed but qualified individuals, highlighting the temporary employment opportunities created through electoral activities.
Accessibility and inclusion
The commission said it continues to prioritise inclusive participation.
It recently trained members of Blind SA on the use of the Universal Ballot Template, which allows visually impaired voters to cast their ballots independently.
The IEC has also recruited 834 municipal outreach officers, including representatives from the disability sector, to strengthen voter education and community engagement.
South Africans can register, update their details or check their voter registration status online, or visit their nearest registration station this weekend between 8am and 5pm.