More than 3.5 million South Africans had cast their ballots by 10:00 on Wednesday morning (4 November) as the country’s local government elections got under way with few hitches.

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The Electoral Commission has introduced several innovations to improve efficiency, including handheld barcode scanners attached to voter management devices and sequence numbers on the voters roll for ease of voter verification, reducing the overall voting time taken by each voter.

A few voting stations opened only by nine o’clock due to localised protests and access challenges caused by heavy rain in the Eastern Cape and KwaZulu-Natal. All ballot papers have since been delivered to voting stations across the country, with only a few deliveries completed shortly after voting commenced.

The Voter Management Devices are functioning optimally, supporting the smooth processing and verification of voters at voting stations.

Provincial breakdown

Gauteng recorded the highest number of votes cast by 10 o’clock, with 895 384 ballots from 6 674 073 certified voters, followed by KwaZulu-Natal with 623 380 votes from 6 051 917 registered voters.

The Western Cape saw 461 264 votes cast from 3 457 253 certified voters, while the Eastern Cape recorded 431 123 votes from 3 624 866 registered voters.

Limpopo had 366 378 votes cast from 3 630 080 certified voters, Mpumalanga recorded 252 859 from 1 643 960 voters, and North West had 204 736 votes from 1 663 544 registered voters.

The Free State recorded 195 537 votes from 1 487 687 certified voters, while the Northern Cape saw 93 030 votes cast from 997 428 registered voters.

The total number of certified voters on the voters roll stands at 29 230 808.

Ballot papers and voting instructions

Unlike national and provincial elections, the number of ballot papers issued in local government elections depends on the type of municipality.

Voters in local municipalities will receive three ballot papers: a grey ballot to elect a ward councillor, a green ballot to vote for a political party in the local council, and a yellow ballot to elect political party representatives to the district council.

Voters in metropolitan municipalities will receive two ballot papers: a grey ballot for their ward councillor and a green ballot for their preferred political party in the metropolitan council.

Voters are reminded to make one clear X in the designated box next to their preferred candidate or political party on each ballot paper. Only one candidate or political party may be selected per ballot. Marking more than one choice or making additional marks may result in the ballot being declared spoilt.

Assistance for visually impaired voters

Voters who are visually impaired will be assisted using Universal Ballot Templates, which enable those who are braille literate to mark their ballots independently. Every voting station is equipped with both single-column and double-column templates to accommodate different ballot paper configurations.

The commission has noted in consultation with Blind SA that some voting stations with double column ballot papers have fewer than 80 candidates, presenting a variation with the double column template.

The double column template is designed to accommodate 40 candidates on the left column and another 40 on the right column. Where the number of candidates is less than 80, the numbering sequence adjusts accordingly.

Security incident

The commission received a report of theft of unused ballot papers and a stamp in eThekwini. The provincial office has reported the incident to the South African Police Service and a case has been opened. Investigations are underway.

The commission has taken all precautionary measures to ensure that the stolen ballots cannot be unlawfully used.

Voter registration verification

Voters are encouraged to verify their registration details before going to vote. Channels available include sending an ID number via WhatsApp to 0600 88 0000, sending an ID by SMS to 32810 at a cost of R1 per SMS, calling the contact centre on 0800 11 8000, or checking registration on www.elections.org.za.

The commission acknowledged the Department of Home Affairs for making its offices available to the public for the collection of identity documents and applications for IDs. It also extended gratitude to all state agencies and security structures operating through NATJOINTS for their presence and continued efforts to ensure a safe and secure electoral environment.

The commission appealed to voters to remain patient and cooperative should they experience queues or delays at voting stations, noting that election officials are on hand to provide assistance and address queries.

Voting stations are due to close at nine o’clock tonight.