A voter marks his ballot paper in a voting booth at Mai Mai Bazaar Hall polling station in Johannesburg, on November 4, 2026, during South Africa's local government elections.
MIDRAND - The Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) has assured that contingency measures are in place to ensure that voting and the subsequent counting process are not disrupted by electricity outages.
Briefing the media on Wednesday, just a few hours before voting stations close at 9pm, IEC Chief Electoral Officer Sy Mamabolo said generators and alternative lighting facilities have been made available to voting stations in areas that have experienced power outages.
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Mamabolo has praised the turnout of voters for the 2026 local government elections, with its preliminary estimates recording approximately 12 million voters who have cast their votes across the country as of 5pm today.
But even so, with voting scheduled to close at 9pm, Mamabolo has urged eligible voters who have not yet cast their ballots to make their way to their registered voting stations.
“The Commission reassures voters that anyone who arrives at a voting station before nine will be allowed to vote, even if the voting process extends beyond the official time of nine o'clock. This means every voter who is in the queue by the time of closing will not be turned away,” he said.