The Electoral Commission (IEC) has witnessed a strong uptake in online voter registration, as South Africa readies for the local government elections.
This emerged yesterday, when the commission reminded all eligible South African voters that the weekend of 1 and 2 August marks the final voting station-based registration opportunity.
Addressing the media on the state of readiness for the second round of voter registration, IEC chief electoral officer Sy Mamabolo said the commission has completed its final operational preparations for the upcoming voter registration weekend.
Once the final voter registration weekend has concluded, the commission anticipates that cooperative governance and traditional affairs minister Velenkosini Hlabisa will proclaim the date of the 2026 local government elections.
Mamabolo said the voters’ roll closes at midnight on the day the election is proclaimed. “From that point onwards, no new voter registrations or changes to existing voter registration details may be processed until after the elections.
“Consequently, the Electoral Commission will cease all registration drives and deactivate the online voter registration portal.”
There are currently 620 registered political parties, the commission revealed.
Providing an update on online voter registration services, Mamabolo said following the first voter registration weekend in June, the IEC has to date recorded more than 815 000 voter registration transactions.
“Of these, approximately 603 572 (74%) were processed through the online voter registration portal, underscoring the growing use of the digital online registration platform among South Africans.”
According to Mamabolo, the highest levels of online registration activity were recorded in Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal and the Western Cape.
“Women remain the leading users of the online registration platform, accounting for 61% of all online registration activity. Young people are also embracing digital registration in significant numbers, with the 16-29 age cohort contributing 50% of all online transactions,” he said.
“The largest share of youth activity comprised new registrations, with just over 52% of all transactions recorded within the 16-29 age group. This trend highlights the increasingly important role of digital channels in engaging first-time voters and encouraging electoral participation among young citizens.”
The commission’s data-free online voter registration portal enables voters to register as first-time voters, check their voter registration status, confirm their voting station, and update their contact and address details.
“The commission continues to encourage South Africans to take advantage of the online self-service portal, which is data-free and accessible 24/7, to register to vote and update their registration details,” Mamabolo said.
“While the upcoming registration weekend is the final in-person opportunity to register or update voter details, the online service will remain active until proclamation day.
“The commission urges eligible voters not to wait until the last minute to register or update their details. Experience has shown that a surge in registration activity often occurs closer to key deadlines, creating avoidable pressure on registration channels.”
The commission has also opened the online candidate nomination system, allowing registered political parties and prospective independent candidates to capture candidate information well ahead of the official opening of candidate nomination.
To date, 76 political parties and 39 independent candidates have started using the system, supporting early preparation for the efficient submission of nominations once the election timetable takes effect, said Mamabolo.
Share
