By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
The Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) revealed that a whopping 508 political parties were registered for the upcoming Local Government Elections (LGE).
The commission briefed the media on its state of readiness and preparations for the polls in Pretoria on Tuesday.
“Of these, 299 are registered on a national level, while the balance of 209 are either registered on a provincial, district or metropolitan level,” the IEC’s chief electoral officer, Sy Mamabolo
This has raised concerns about the size of the ballot paper.
Mamabolo announced that a national voter registration weekend would be on 20 and 21 June 2026, giving citizens an opportunity to register.
“The foremost reminder to all South Africans eligible to vote is to register where they ordinarily reside,” Mamabolo said.
Once the election date was proclaimed, voters would be able to vote only at the voting station where they were registered.
By law, the next election must be held within 90 days of the expiry of the municipal councils’ terms, which is scheduled for 1 November.
Minister of Cooperative Governance (COGTA) Velenkosini Hlabisa will have to find a suitable date for the elections to be held between November 2026 and January 2027.
Mamabolo highlighted the Commission’s efforts in preparing all stakeholders for the upcoming elections.
He said between November 17 and December 10 2025, the Commission conducted a nationwide series of workshops across all nine provinces.
These workshops were aimed at both registered and unregistered political parties, as well as independent candidates, in order to provide key information on the electoral process.
Mamabolo noted that the purpose of these workshops was to “ensure informed and meaningful participation in the upcoming elections,” stressing that participants were briefed on a range of important topics.
These included the registration requirements for political parties, the candidate nomination processes, seat calculations, and matters relating to political funding.
Mamabolo noted that additional information sessions are planned for May and June 2026 to further engage with stakeholders ahead of the elections.
“The next series of workshops will be crucial in further educating all stakeholders about the electoral processes and ensuring that the elections are as transparent and fair as possible,” Mamabolo added.
Mamabolo highlighted that this demonstrated the Commission’s ongoing readiness and operational efficiency in managing the country’s electoral processes.
“These by-elections are a vital part of maintaining democratic representation at local government level,” Mamabolo said.
Voters can also register online. The only official online voter registration portals are: RegisterToVote.org.za or www.elections.org.za.
Mamabolo said the IEC’s online voter registration campaign was “starting to bear fruit”, with 260,205 new registrations recorded between November 2025 and March 2026.