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IEC expects to finish Western Cape special voting on Tuesday

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Ballot-delivery delays stopped 217 Cape Town metro voting stations opening on time on Monday, the first day of special voting. About 62% of Western Cape voters who applied for special votes cast ballots that day, and the IEC expects to finish by 5:00pm.

Michael Hendricks, the IEC electoral officer for the Western Cape, said the commission has a high level of confidence in its preparations. He said unexpected problems can still happen and the IEC will respond to them as they occur. The IEC said an unforeseen delay by its contracted printing company caused the late openings. The company was reprinting ballots after a Constitutional Court ruling.

Nationally, 2.6 million people registered for special votes. In the Western Cape, 292,000 people registered. The IEC said 28 million ballots already printed and distributed were no longer suitable because they did not include all contesting parties. It authorised the reprinting of 33 million ballots.

Separately, police arrested a wanted gang member after a shootout in Manenberg, about 150m from a voting station on Ruimte Road. Western Cape police said the suspect allegedly opened fire on officers when he saw them. Police found 32 rounds of ammunition on him, and the Anti-Gang Unit was deployed for security.

Key facts

Who
Michael Hendricks (IEC Western Cape electoral officer); Masego Sheburi (IEC deputy chief electoral officer); Electoral Commission of South Africa (election management body); Western Cape police (police, Anti-Gang Unit deployed for security)
What
Ballot-delivery delays stopped 217 voting stations across the Cape Town metro opening at 08:00 on Monday during special voting ahead of the local government elections. About 62% of voters who applied for special votes cast ballots on the first day, and the IEC expects to finish by 17:00 on Tuesday. Separately, police arrested a wanted gang member after a shootout in Manenberg near a voting…
When
3 November 2026
Where
Western Cape, Cape Town, Manenberg
Status
Reported

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