The Electoral Commission has called on all South Africans eligible to vote to register for the Local Government Elections where they live.
“In a Local Government Election, there is no legal facility to vote outside of the voting station of registration. This is a necessary requirement as it ensures that voters vote in a ward election that has a relationship with their place of ordinary residence,” said the Commission at a media briefing on Tuesday.
The Commission announced that a national voter registration weekend will take place on 20 and 21 June 2026.
It said there has been a steady increase in the number of South Africans utilising the online self-registration platform, RegisterToVote.org.za.
More citizens are also taking advantage of outreach initiatives to register and update their details, reflecting a growing confidence in both the digital and in-person registration channels.
Between November 2025 and March 2026, a total of 260 205 new registrations were recorded, according to the Commission.
Of these, 128 113 voters registered through the Voter Management Devices (VMDs), while 132 092 registered via the online self-service portal.
“The steady increase in registrations can also be attributed to the Online Registration Campaign, which encouraged citizens to register, update and verify their details remotely.
“This campaign ran throughout the month of February 2026 and demonstrated that South Africans are heeding the call to register early and proactively participate in the democratic process.”
The Commission has also scaled up its contact centre to better assist persons requiring information on electoral processes, voter registration and related enquiries.
Government moves to remove barriers to acquiring an ID
Meanwhile, the Department of Home Affairs’ partnership with banks on Smart ID cards, aims to make it easier for citizens to ensure they have the necessary Identity Documents.
The partnership on Sunday officially entered its live operational phase, allowing people to apply for Smart ID cards directly at participating bank branches.
Through the programme, South Africans can complete a secure Smart ID application at selected bank branches within minutes using integrated digital systems.
The system allows banks to connect directly to the department’s systems through a secure digital gateway, enabling applications to be processed within five to ten minutes without completing paper forms or making prior bookings.
Instead of travelling long distances to one of the country’s 349 Home Affairs offices, applicants will be able to access services at bank branches in their communities. – SAnews.gov.za
