Pretoria:The Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) has approved a record 2,655,067 special vote applications for the upcoming 2026 Local Government Elections. This marks a significant 131% increase compared to the 1,147,759 applications approved for the 2021 elections.
According to South African Government News Agency, the special vote application period ran from September 21 to October 12, 2026. The applications consist of two categories home visits for voters unable to travel due to infirmity or disability, and voting station-based special votes for those who cannot vote on Election Day despite being able to reach the stations.
The IEC's Chief Electoral Officer, Sy Mamabolo, announced that 678,525 home visit applications were approved, a 33.7% increase from 2021. KwaZulu-Natal had the highest number of approved home visit applications at 143,714. The majority of applications, 2,426,066, were submitted online, while 171,214 were submitted manually at IEC offices.
Gauteng recorded the highest number of approved special votes at 480,721, followed by Eastern Cape with 401,971. Other provinces such as KwaZulu-Natal and Limpopo also had significant application numbers. The IEC noted that women accounted for 74% of home visit applications and 64% of voting station visit applications, with older voters predominantly utilizing home visits.
Special voting is scheduled for November 2 and 3, ahead of Election Day on November 4. As part of election preparations, the IEC has audited the Election Results System and allowed political parties to test its integrity. Ballot paper production is underway, with over 66% of the 79 million ballots already printed, and all voting stations secured.
The IEC has urged voters to acquaint themselves with the voting process to ensure a seamless experience at the polls.