Category: News

The Electoral Commission says it is ready to welcome South Africans of voting age at all its 23 706 voting stations across the country during the registration weekend on 20 and 21 June 2026.

“We call on all eligible South Africans to take full advantage of the voter registration weekend to register, verify, or update their details on the voters’ roll,” said the Commission’s Chief Electoral Officer, Sy Mamabolo, on Thursday.

The Commission also welcomed the Department of Home Affairs’ decision to operate during the registration weekend, providing identity document services to ensure eligible citizens have the necessary documentation to register to vote.

Addressing the media on the state of readiness in Pretoria today, Mamabolo told media that the voters’ roll currently stands at 28 million registered voters, despite ongoing monthly reductions of approximately 34 000 due to mortality.

“The voters’ roll stood at 27.7 million during the 2024 General Elections. The online registration platform is proving to be a crucial element in the growth of the voters’ roll,” he said.

He said the Commission remains committed to delivering free, fair and credible elections. Mamabolo urged all eligible citizens to play their part in strengthening South Africa’s constitutional democracy through active voter registration and participation.

He called on every voter to update their details, especially their address, as this will place them in the correct ward segment of the voters’ roll.

“Therefore, the voter registration weekend offers an opportunity to ensure that voters’ details are accurately captured and updated. There is no statutory mechanism to vote outside of the voting district in which voters are registered.

“Over the two-day registration weekend, all 23 706 voting stations, comprising 22 718 permanent stations, 960 temporary stations and 28 mobile stations for remote communities, will be operational. Registration stations will operate from 08h00 to 17h00,” Mamabolo said.

According to the Commission, KwaZulu-Natal has the highest number of registration stations at 5 021, followed by the Eastern Cape with 4 984, Limpopo with 3 317, Gauteng with 2 832, Mpumalanga with 1 846, North West with 1 730, the Western Cape with 1 623, the Free State with 1 614 and the Northern Cape with 739.

Mamabolo said the increase in the number of stations from 23 151 during the 2021 Local Government Elections is driven by the five-yearly review of wards by the Municipal Demarcation Board and the Commission’s efforts to expand accessibility to voter registration services.

Touching on voter registration materials, Mamabolo said the Electoral Commission has successfully delivered all essential voter registration materials across all provinces.

“A stock of 39 641 voter management devices is available to service registration stations across the country. These devices have undergone the necessary maintenance to ensure that they are fit for purpose.

“These devices are central to modern voter registration operations, enabling real-time citizenship verification, accurate capture of voter details and seamless integration with the voters’ roll,” Mamabolo said.

With regard to staffing, Mamabolo said the Commission has appointed and trained 48 212 registration staff members, who will be deployed to ensure a smooth and efficient voter registration process across all registration stations.

“Of the appointed staff members, 37 994 are women and 10 218 are men. Furthermore, 22 599 staff members are under the age of 35, while 19 806 are between the ages of 36 and 50. The remaining 5 807 staff members are aged 51 years and older.

“Significantly, 34 404 of the appointed staff members are unemployed qualified persons. This highlights the important contribution that electoral events make towards temporary employment opportunities and skills development.

“The recruitment criteria for registration staff were developed in consultation with the National Political Liaison Committee. The names of appointed staff members were also shared with the Local Political Liaison Committees to allow for objections against any individuals deemed unsuitable for appointment,” he said.

Mamabolo said the Commission reaffirms its commitment to advancing the aspirations of young people as voters and candidates in the forthcoming elections.

“Given that youth in the 18-19 age category have not had multiple opportunities to enlist on the voters’ roll and have only recently become age-eligible, more than 70% in this age cohort are still to register.

“The Electoral Commission urges all eligible youth, especially first-time voters, to seize this opportunity to register and participate in these elections,” Mamabolo said.

Boosting youth participation
Mamabolo said the Commission’s Tertiary Institutions Campaign (TIC) continues to strengthen youth participation.

“By 31 March 2026, the campaign had reached 269 552 students nationwide, of whom 158 446 (59%) were newly registered voters,” he said.

On 11 and 12 June 2026, the Commission trained more than 70 members of Blind SA on the use of the Universal Ballot Template (UBT) as part of its efforts to promote inclusive electoral participation.

Mamabolo explained that the initiative aims to empower blind and visually impaired voters to confidently cast their ballots independently and with dignity during the forthcoming elections.

“Workshops with additional disability groups are planned and ongoing to ensure that the Commission engages across the full spectrum of disabilities and incorporates diverse perspectives into its electoral programmes and services,” he said.

Mamabolo said the Electoral Commission’s Contact Centre is also fully equipped to support voters and stakeholders through a multi-channel service offering assistance via voice, email, live chat and social media in all official languages.

To date, it has successfully managed 51 400 citizen interactions, reflecting its capacity to provide accessible and responsive voter support.