The Electoral Commission’s Chief Executive Officer, Sy Mamabolo, confirmed Saturday that this weekend represents the last opportunity for voting station-based registration ahead of the 2026 Local Government Elections, with all 23,699 voting stations and Home Affairs offices operating extended hours on 01 and 02 August 2026.
Both institutions are open from 8am to 5pm across both days. The Department of Home Affairs coordinated the extended operating schedule specifically to ensure eligible citizens can access the services required to register or update their voting details before the window closes. Mamabolo addressed media in Pretoria on Saturday, reporting that more than 99 percent of voting stations had opened on schedule, a figure the commission described as a smooth start to the final registration push.
Additional reference context is available at https://www.sanews.gov.za/south-africa/iec-reiterates-call-register-vote.
By midday Saturday, the Electoral Commission had processed over 238,000 citizen interactions across voting stations and its online portal. The vast majority, approximately 198,232 transactions, occurred at physical voting stations. The commission’s data-free online voter registration portal recorded a further 20,078 transactions. This dual-channel approach reflects the commission’s strategy to provide multiple registration pathways before the deadline.
The transaction breakdown revealed a notable pattern. New voter registrations accounted for 13.4 percent of the total, roughly 30,000 transactions, while the remainder consisted of voters updating existing registration details to ensure accuracy on the electoral roll. Mamabolo characterized this as a positive response to the commission’s public messaging.
Provincial figures showed significant variation. KwaZulu-Natal led all provinces with 55,759 transactions, followed by the Eastern Cape at 46,889 and Gauteng at 41,774. Mamabolo noted these figures aligned with historical patterns and population densities. Limpopo recorded 29,680 transactions, the Western Cape 19,693, Mpumalanga 17,218, North West 15,610, Free State 13,110, and the Northern Cape 6,213. Across every province, citizens were responding to the commission’s call.
The commission deployed 48,212 trained electoral officials to support the process. It also adjusted its voting district arrangements following a review of activity during the first registration weekend in June, reducing the number of districts from 23,706 to 23,699. That earlier weekend produced more than three million registration transactions, establishing a baseline of substantial public engagement.
Beyond this weekend, the Electoral Commission’s online voter registration portal remains active until the election is proclaimed, accessible at registertovote.elections.org.za. Mamabolo urged citizens not to wait, warning that delaying until the final days before proclamation could create unnecessary congestion on the platform.
Registered voters can verify their status through three channels: the IEC App, the Electoral Commission’s Contact Centre on 0800 11 8000, or by sending their identity number via SMS to 32810 at a cost of R1 per message.
Mamabolo closed by acknowledging the cooperation of electoral staff, Home Affairs officials, political parties, community leaders, traditional leaders, civil society organisations, observer groups and security agencies. The commission’s position is unambiguous: eligible voters must use this final weekend to register, verify and update their details. Whether the turnout on Sunday matches or exceeds Saturday’s figures will indicate how effectively that message has landed.