PRETORIA – The Electoral Commission has published the official timetable for the 2026 local government elections, after Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs Minister Velenkosini Hlabisa proclaimed Wednesday 4 November 2026 as the election date.
The proclamation, gazetted on Friday 7 August, marked the start of the country’s 89-day election timetable leading up to the polls, Electoral Commission chairperson Mosotho Moepya told reporters in Pretoria.
“The proclamation provides certainty by formally setting Wednesday 4 November 2026 as Election Day,” Moepya said.
The timetable has been published in the Government Gazette as required by the Local Government: Municipal Electoral Act, 2000, and its regulations.
It sets out the framework for finalising the voters’ roll, candidate nominations, objections, voting arrangements, special votes and the declaration of results.
All activities prescribed in the timetable must be completed by 17:00 on their respective cut-off dates. The proclamation also activated the Electoral Code of Conduct, which sets standards for fairness in the electoral process.
The proclamation followed a voter registration weekend on 1 and 2 August, during which about 1.7 million citizens interacted with the Electoral Commission. Of these, 291 806 registered as first-time voters, while more than 1.5 million updated or confirmed their registration details.
Hlabisa reminded voters that, in local government elections, citizens may vote only in the ward where they are registered.
In a post on social media platform X on Thursday, the Commission said: “Your vote starts with registration. Proclamation on 7 August at midnight. Online registration closes then.”
Voters’ roll closed
A significant outcome of the proclamation was the closure of the voters’ roll at midnight on Friday 7 August. No new voter registrations or changes to registration details will be accepted for the 2026 elections.
The provisional voters’ roll will be available for inspection at national, provincial and local offices from Tuesday 11 August. The period for lodging objections closes on Tuesday 18 August, with decisions communicated by Monday 24 August. The chief electoral officer will certify the final voters’ roll on Wednesday 26 August.
Moepya said the Commission had recorded significant improvements in voter registration through investments in digital technology.
Some 1 794 051 registration transactions were recorded during the second registration weekend, with a further 210 734 since, bringing the total to 2 million.
The data-free online registration portal had facilitated access, while the WhatsApp channel had broadened outreach, with more than 14 000 registrations recorded since its launch.
The Commission will publish the list of voting stations on Friday 14 August, including mobile voting stations and their routes across the country.
Candidate nominations open
Candidate nominations opened on Friday 7 August and close at 17:00 on Friday 28 August. Registered political parties and independent candidates have 21 calendar days to submit their candidate lists.
Two nomination channels are available: the Online Candidate Nomination System and manual submission at the Commission’s office. The Commission opened the online system early to allow candidates to input their details in advance. Monetary deposits are required as part of the process and are refundable under certain conditions.
There are currently 674 registered political parties, highlighting the anticipated level of competition in the local government elections.
The election timetable also accommodates citizens who are unable to vote on election day through special votes, with applications opening on 21 September 2026.
ALSO READ: Municipal service failures threaten ANC strongholds ahead of South African local elections
