The first day of special voting for the 2026 Local Government Elections in South Africa was marred by the death of a presiding officer who collapsed at a voting station, while another IEC official was injured in a motor vehicle accident in KwaZulu-Natal. IEC Deputy Chief Electoral Officer Masego Shiburi confirmed the incidents during a media briefing on Monday.
According to Shiburi, special voting had started positively across most of the country, with 94% of voting stations having opened with all staff present and the required materials, including ballot papers, when voting began. However, the IEC experienced delays in parts of Cape Town, where 10 of the city's 116 wards had not yet opened their voting stations by 10:30 am.
Shiburi said efforts were underway to ensure the remaining stations opened and remained operational so that approved special voters could cast their ballots. He also mentioned that in the majority of cases, voters have been smoothly assisted with demonstrable improvement owing to the various efficiency measures that the commission has implemented.
The IEC Deputy Chief Electoral Officer confirmed that the commission was saddened by the death of a presiding officer who collapsed at a voting station in Mahikeng. He also confirmed that a deputy presiding officer in the uKhahlamba district in KwaZulu-Natal had been involved in a motor vehicle accident and was taken to hospital.
Despite the incidents, Shiburi said the commission had recorded an overall strong performance across the country. He said the IEC intended to improve its performance in Cape Town during the afternoon and expected a better showing on Tuesday, the second and final day of special voting.
To improve the processing of voters and reduce delays at voting stations, the IEC had introduced several measures, including handheld scanners connected to the Voter Management Device (VMD), which are being used to speed up the scanning of identity numbers and improve the movement of queues. The commission had also enhanced the operation of its voter management devices and the applications used on them to improve their reliability.
The IEC urged voters to confirm their registration details before going to their voting stations, and provided various channels for voters to check their details, including a WhatsApp line, a contact centre, and an SMS service. Voting stations will remain open until 5 pm on Monday and Tuesday for people whose applications for special votes have been approved to cast their ballots at their registered stations.
Key points
- An IEC presiding officer died after collapsing at a voting station in Mahikeng on the first day of special voting.
- A deputy presiding officer was injured in a motor vehicle accident in KwaZulu-Natal.
- The IEC implemented measures to improve the voting process, including handheld scanners and sequence numbers on the voters' roll.
