The Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) has registered 300,000 first-time voters in nine months as it prepares for next year’s local government elections.
Deputy chief electoral officer Masego Shiburi addressed the media on the IEC’s preparedness for the elections in Pretoria, saying 71,000 voters were registered in September.
Shiburi also indicated that 60,000 existing voters on the voter’s roll updated their details. However, the IEC loses on average 31,000 voters monthly due to death.
About 76% of the voters were registered through the voter management device, while 24% were registered online or at IEC offices nationwide.
Shiburi said though there were ongoing engagements and consultations on electronic voting, it was not on the cards for the next local government elections.
About 200 submissions had been made on electronic voting, with the dominant view being that e-voting has to be considered or adopted after a pilot has been done.
There are 508 parties registered for the local government elections so far, with 295 of them already contesting national elections.
The municipal council elections, which are held every five years, are expected to take place between November 2026 and January 2027. The date is yet to be announced.
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