South Africa closed special voting on November 3, 2026, with 1,425,942 people recorded as having voted, SABC News reported. The broadcaster cited an early count from the Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC).
The count covers two days of voting before the November 4 local elections. IEC chairperson Mosotho Moepya said it was not yet final, according to SAnews. It counts people who voted early, not votes won by a party or candidate.
Special voting at stations and at home
Moepya said 974,852 people voted at polling stations and 451,090 through home visits, SABC News reported. Both groups had approval to vote on November 2 and 3.
The IEC explained the two routes in its readiness statement. Home visits serve people who cannot reach a polling station due to illness or disability. Those who can travel but cannot vote on election day may instead vote early at their registered station.
The IEC says it keeps special ballots safe until counting starts. Staff check them against the special-vote records before opening them. Party agents and approved observers may watch the process under the rules.
IEC warns about misleading posts
Chief Electoral Officer Sy Mamabolo said some online videos showed staff moving home-visit ballots into main ballot boxes, SAnews reported. He said people were sharing these clips without context and suggesting wrongdoing.
Mamabolo urged the public to check such claims before sharing them. He also said people could report false or misleading posts through Real411, according to SAnews.
In a separate briefing report, SAnews said the IEC had cited threats and disruption in Mpumalanga and KwaZulu-Natal. Mamabolo said it was taking legal steps against the people and parties it identified. These are the IEC’s allegations, not findings of guilt.
Main polls open on November 4
The IEC says voters who missed an approved home visit can still vote at their registered station on November 4. Its readiness statement says they must bring an accepted South African identity document.
Moepya said the polls will run from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m., The Citizen reported. Staff will then count the special ballots with the election-day votes and include both in each station’s results.
Sources: IEC readiness statement, SAnews participation report, SABC News, SAnews misinformation report, SAnews disruption report, The Citizen
