Midrand:Voting stations opened on time for the second and final day of special voting in the 2026 Local Government Elections, as home visit teams adhered to their schedules, According to Electoral Commission. By midday, more than 1.3 million voters had already cast their special votes.
According to South African Government News Agency, the Chief Electoral Officer, Sy Mamabolo, stated that the special voting process proceeded smoothly, with stations opening at 8 a.m. and scheduled to close at 5 p.m. Voters unable to reach stations by the deadline will be allowed to vote on the main Voting Day, 4 November 2026.
Mamabolo emphasized the differences between Local Government Elections and National and Provincial elections, noting that voters receive either two or three ballot papers depending on their municipality. Voters were reminded to mark only one choice per ballot to avoid spoiling their vote.
Efforts to ensure inclusivity for visually impaired voters included the introduction of Universal Ballot Templates (UBT) at each station. Presiding Officers will assist blind voters by reading out numbers aligned with UBT windows.
Special voting commenced on 2 November, and the Commission's information integrity hub has noted increased misinformation attempts on social media platforms. Videos of election officials transferring ballots have been shared without context, leading to unfounded claims of misconduct. Citizens are urged to verify such content and report misleading information on the Real411 platform.
The Commission also called on political parties to refrain from inflammatory statements and to follow established procedures for reporting election process concerns. The Real411 platform registered 34 complaints related to misinformation, incitement to violence, and hate speech, predominantly on Twitter/X, followed by TikTok, Facebook, and WhatsApp.