Day one of the 2016 municipal elections got off to a relatively smooth start as special votes were cast on Monday. There were‚ however‚ several incidents that caused disruptions including electoral staff getting stuck in the mud which delayed voting at some stations as well as preventing some voting stations from opening at all. Special votes were cast around the county and according to the Independent Electoral Commission the ''vast majority" of voting stations opened on time and "voting got off to a smooth and steady start". However‚ in a statement the IEC indicated that there were some serious incidents including three election staff being involved in separate motor vehicle accidents on the way to voting stations. "One in Limpopo involved the presiding officer of a voting station in Tubatse-Fetakgoma Municipality who was seriously injured and taken to hospital. The other two incidents - involving a presiding officer and an area manager in Edumbe (Dundee) in KwaZulu-Natal - were not serious and the officials are on duty‚'' said the statement.Incorrect ballot papers were delivered to a few voting stations and four stations opened late due to community protest."Among the less serious incidents which had delayed the start of special voting in a handful of areas around the country included heavy overnight rains in the Eastern Cape which had made some voting stations inaccessible and had affected other voting stations using temporary infrastructure such as tents."Some electoral staff vehicles were still stuck in mud in Elliotdale… and were being towed out by tractors.''The IEC approved 719 222 applications for special votes which will continue on Tuesday. These will include home visits. Four Eastern Cape voting stations were not operational on Monday afternoon‚ two due to rain and the others due to protests‚ IEC provincial head Thami Mraji told the Daily Dispatch."In Elliotdale in Ward 50‚ rain made it impossible to access two voting stations. We are watching the situation and we are confident that by tomorrow the stations will be accessible." In Ntabankulu‚ there were "teething problems" in Ward 19 in Mbizana local municipality where members of the community blockaded access to five voting stations. "We have been able to resolve some of these disputes and delivery of material has just commenced. We have experienced the same in Ward 6 in Ntabankulu. Negotiations are continuing‚" said Mraji. IEC officials are keeping their fingers crossed that the weather will not be extreme on Wednesday or it will have to resort to helicopters to transport election material."Should the rain fall heavily at [affected] stations‚ we have asked the SAPS to provide us with 4x4 vehicles as well as choppers‚" Mraji said. Two police officers will escort election material to each of 4699 voting stations across the province‚ "which means there will be at least 12 000 police officers on duty on Wednesday".Mraji said the state's intelligence agencies will continue to monitor the situation on the ground "and give us a heads-up on possible protests in areas we least expect. For now I can safely say all systems are ready for the main day on Wednesday."Live results, cool maps, fierce battlegrounds: follow the local elections on our web app:http://bit.ly/2apwZKU..