South Africa’s voter registration weekend for the 2026 Local Government Elections began on a strong note, with early signs showing that young people made up the largest group of those signing up to vote.

Strong start across the country

By 08:00 on Saturday morning, close to 100% of the country’s 23 706 voting stations were confirmed open and running. The handful of stations that did not open on time were held up by community protests in those areas.

The Electoral Commission praised its 48 212 electoral officials for ensuring the process started smoothly and that voters were well looked after at voting stations.

Over 330 000 applications by midday

By midday, over 330 000 voter registration applications had been processed. Just over 300 000 of these were handled in person at voting stations, while 30 000 were submitted through the online platform.

Provinces with larger populations led the numbers, with KwaZulu-Natal, Gauteng and the Eastern Cape recording the highest volumes of applications.

Crucially, early signs point to young people as the biggest group of applicants — a promising development for the country’s democracy ahead of the November 2026 elections.

The Commission’s contact centre also assisted 640 voters with direct queries and handled 221 interactions through social media.

Voting stations remained open until 17:00 on Saturday and on Sunday till 18:00.

How to register

If you were unable to get to your voting station to register, you can still register online at registertovote.elections.org.za. The online portal will stay open until midnight on the day the elections are officially proclaimed by the Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs, after which registration and updates will close.

Registered voters can also verify their details online at elections.org.za, by calling the IEC’s contact centre on 0800 11 8000, or by sending their ID number via SMS to 32810.

A proof of address is not necessary.

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