A record 2.65 million South Africans apply to vote early
Special vote applications for the 4 November local elections are up 131% on 2021. Most home-visit applicants are women over 60.
Taiwo Banjoko
Pretoria — South Africa's Electoral Commission has approved a record 2,655,067 applications for special votes in the local government elections on 4 November, 131% more than the 1,147,759 approved in 2021, the government news agency SAnews reports.
Sy Mamabolo of the Electoral Commission gave the figures in Pretoria on Wednesday.
Who applied
- Special votes are for voters who cannot get to a voting station, and receive a home visit, or who cannot vote on election day.
- 678,525 home visits were approved, up a third on 2021, with KwaZulu-Natal recording the most.
- 2,426,066 applications were made online.
- Women make up 74% of home-visit applicants, and voters aged 60 and over 79.6%.
- Gauteng had the most applications, 480,721, followed by the Eastern Cape and KwaZulu-Natal.
Getting ready
- Special voting takes place on 2 and 3 November; election day is 4 November.
- More than two-thirds of the 79 million ballot papers have been printed, with printing due to finish by 18 October.
- All 23,696 voting stations have been secured.
- Parties were given access to test the Electoral Commission's results system from 5 to 12 October, after an independent audit.
Source: SAnews, 14 October 2026.
