Special voting closes with 1.43 million voters recorded

Special voting ended at 17:00 SAST on Tuesday, 3 November 2026, with a preliminary 1,425,942 voters recorded across the two-day process, Electoral Commission chairperson Mosotho Moepya said.

Moepya said the figure was preliminary and would be finalised that evening, SAnews reported.

What the preliminary figures show

The recorded total comprised 974,852 people who voted at stations and 451,090 through home visits. The Eastern Cape recorded 207,258 special voters. These figures describe participation in special voting; they contain no party vote shares or council-seat results.

The Commission had approved 2,655,067 special-vote applications. An approval gives a voter access to the special-voting process. It is a different measure from a recorded vote, so the two figures should not be used interchangeably.

Nor is this an election-wide turnout figure. Ordinary voting still has to take place, and the preliminary special-vote total cannot tell readers which party is ahead in a ward or municipality.

When the ballots will be counted

In SABC’s report of the evening briefing, Moepya said special ballots were securely stored and would be counted with ballots cast on 4 November after stations close. There is no separate early declaration of special-vote party results.

The next step for voters

Ordinary voting takes place on Wednesday, 4 November. Government’s 3 November notice reminds voters to take a Smart ID card, green barcoded ID book or valid temporary identity document. Check your registered station and travel arrangements before leaving.

The IEC says a voter who missed an approved home visit can still attend their registered station on 4 November. TPR’s election-day guide sets out the 07:00–21:00 voting hours, station checks, identity services and arrangements for people rostered to work.

As results become available, use our results guide to distinguish votes reported at an individual station from the eventual allocation of council seats.