The Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) has approved 2,655,067 special vote applications for the 4 November local government elections, a record. The commission announced the figure at a media briefing in Pretoria on 14 October 2026.
How does it compare with 2021?
The 2021 elections drew 1,147,759 approved applications, so this year’s number is 131% higher. The application window ran from 21 September to 17:00 on 12 October 2026.
The applications split into two kinds. Home visits are for voters who cannot travel to a station because of physical infirmity or disability, and the commission approved 678,525 of them, up 171,118 or 33.7% from 507,407 in 2021. The other 1,976,542 are for people who can reach a station but cannot vote on 4 November, and they will vote there on the special voting days.
Chief Electoral Officer Sy Mamabolo said 2,426,066 applications arrived online. Another 171,214 were handed in at IEC offices, and the commission aimed to finish capturing those by 16 October.
Where are the votes?
Gauteng leads the provinces with 480,721 approved applications, according to figures Mamabolo gave from those captured so far. The Eastern Cape (401,971) and KwaZulu-Natal (348,971) come next. The Western Cape has 291,866, Mpumalanga 292,775 and Limpopo 341,623. The North West has 235,733, the Free State 132,088 and the Northern Cape 129,319.
Source: Electoral Commission briefing of 14 October 2026, as reported by SAnews. Figures captured at the time of the briefing. Chart: Rand Desk
Of the home visits, KwaZulu-Natal accounts for the most, with 143,714 approved.
Who is applying?
The commission’s analysis shows women submitted 74% of home visit requests and 64% of voting station requests. Voters aged 60 and older submitted 79.6% of the home visit applications, Mamabolo said, and the 70 to 79 age group was the biggest.
In Gauteng, 305,586 women applied against 172,200 men. The Eastern Cape had 267,539 women and 137,550 men. Mamabolo said the voting station group has a younger and more evenly balanced profile than the home visit group.
What else did the commission report?
Parties could test the commission’s results system between 5 and 12 October, after an outside audit and repairs. Mamabolo said at least 66% of the 79 million ballot papers were printed by 14 October, with printing due to end on Sunday 18 October. That timetable was later changed by court rulings on candidate lists; see the IEC’s extension of court relief to more parties.
All 23,696 voting stations are secured, 22,659 of them permanent ones under signed leases. Temporary facilities are being set up at 1,005 stations, and 33 mobile stations will operate.
The next step is special voting on Monday 2 and Tuesday 3 November, two days before Election Day.
