Voting on 4 November: check your station, ID and work arrangements

Update: Updated after special voting closed on 3 November 2026 to clarify the remaining voting opportunity and the timing of the count.

South Africans voting in the local government elections on Wednesday, 4 November 2026, must use the station where they are registered and take an accepted identity document. Ordinary voting hours are 07:00 to 21:00, according to the government's election-day guide. All times in this guide are South African Standard Time.

Arrange work and travel before setting out

Election day is a declared public holiday. For people rostered to work, Employment and Labour Minister Nomakhosazana Meth has called for employers and employees to make practical arrangements that allow eligible workers to vote while maintaining essential operations and service commitments.

The department's statement encourages workers to discuss those arrangements with their employers in advance. Confirm your shift, travel time and the station's location together, rather than discovering a clash when you leave for work.

Confirm the station with the IEC

Check through the Electoral Commission's official website, send your 13-digit ID number by SMS to 32810, or send “Hi” to the IEC's WhatsApp number, 060 088 0000. The SMS costs R1.

The IEC's readiness notice says voters can also obtain their sequence number on the voters' roll. Giving that number to an official can help them locate your entry. For queries, call 0800 11 8000; the IEC contact centre is scheduled to operate from 07:00 to 21:00 on election day.

Keep your identification ready

Accepted documents are a Smart ID card, a green barcoded ID book or a valid temporary identity certificate. A driving licence, passport, student card or photocopy does not replace an accepted voting document.

Home Affairs front offices will open from 07:00 to 21:00 on 4 November for election-related identity services, according to CoGTA's 30 October notice. See TPR's guide to voting documents and Home Affairs arrangements.

Special voting has closed

Special voting closed at 17:00 SAST on Tuesday, 3 November. Ordinary voting on Wednesday, 4 November runs from 07:00 to 21:00. The IEC says an approved home-visit voter who missed the visit can still attend their registered station on 4 November.

Special ballots will be counted with election-day ballots after stations close. See the preliminary special-voting figures and what happens next.

Read each ballot, then follow the count carefully

TPR's ballot guide explains the ward and party papers and how to seek a replacement before depositing a paper marked incorrectly. Read each heading before making your choice.

After voting, use our results guide to distinguish a station tally, a party's vote share and the eventual council seat allocation. An early lead in one place does not establish who will govern the whole municipality.