Youth vote at risk as 70% of eligible 18-year-olds remain unregistered

More than 70% of South Africans aged 18 and 19 who are eligible to vote have still not registered, the Electoral Commission (IEC) says.

The IEC briefing on Thursday revealed they are gearing up to the voter registration weekend on Saturday and Sunday, while making an appeal to young people to register.

The commission said it is fully prepared to welcome voters at 23,706 voting stations across the country as it seeks to grow and update the voters’ roll ahead of the 2026 local government elections.

The IEC said it is particularly concerned about low registration levels among first-time voters.

“Given that youth in the age category 18-19 years have not had multiple opportunities to enlist on the voters’ roll, and since they just become age eligible, over 70% in this age cohort are still to register,” it said.

The commission urged all eligible youth, especially first-time voters, to seize this opportunity to register to participate in these elections.

The commission said it will continue rolling out campaigns at tertiary institutions and through radio, television and social media platforms to encourage young people to register and participate

It said its voters’ roll currently stands at 28-million registered voters, up from 27.7-million during the 2024 general elections. The commission credited its online registration platform for helping to grow the roll.

All registration stations will operate from 8am to 5pm over the weekend.

The commission has appointed and trained 48,212 registration staff for the weekend, including more than 34,400 unemployed qualified people who will gain temporary employment through the process.

The IEC said efforts to attract young voters were already showing results.

Through its tertiary institutions campaign, it said it reached 269,552 students by the end of March this year, with 158,446 of them registering as new voters.

The commission said it will continue rolling out campaigns at tertiary institutions and through radio, television and social media platforms to encourage young people to register and participate.

It also urged existing voters to verify and update their registration details, particularly their addresses, to ensure they are placed in the correct ward for the local government elections.

South Africans who wish to register or update their details must present:

• a smart ID card;
• green barcoded ID book; or
• a valid temporary identity certificate.

The IEC encouraged all eligible citizens to use the registration weekend to ensure they are ready to vote.

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