JOHANNESBURG – The Independent Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) has announced that registration for the upcoming local government elections will take place on 20 and 21 June.
Giving an update on the Commission’s readiness ahead of the elections, IEC Chief Electoral Officer Sy Mambolo said the timing of the registration weekend aligns with the current planning assumption that the Commission must stand ready to administer elections whenever they are lawfully called.
"Following the completion of the process of voter registration, we anticipate the proclamation of the election date. Once a date is proclaimed, eligible voters will have until midnight on that same day to register to vote."
Between November 2025 and March 2026, a total of 260,205 new online registrations have been recorded.
He said an early announcement of an election date was critical to allow South Africans to decide where they will be on voting day, as this determines where they register.
Mamabolo added that due to ward limitation and population movement, some voting district boundaries had been revised ahead of the elections.
“This revision often results in the disestablishment of some voting districts and the creation of new ones to ensure that these administrative entities remain accessible and aligned with update ward boundaries and current population sizes.”
IEC Media Briefing Underway
Chief Electoral Officer, Sy Mamabolo is providing an overview of the road to the 2026 Local Government Elections (LGE), highlighting key election precursor milestones. These include updates on the ward delimitation process, the latest statistics on… pic.twitter.com/Bi86aEpMjT— IEC South Africa (@IECSouthAfrica) March 10, 2026
He said field workers will be dispatched to conduct door-to-door targeted registration outreach to assist voters affected by the changes.
KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng account for the highest number of districts subdivided by new ward boundaries.
He encouraged voters to check their registration details, and if necessary, update their details using the online registration platform.