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IEC explains how voting works ahead of local elections

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Ongoing: Elections Hot

The Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) has set out the steps voters will follow at polling stations for the local government elections on Wednesday. An IEC official explained identity checks, ink marking, ballot types and the rules for marking a ballot.

Mmakgabo Ramatlhodi, an IEC assistant manager, said voters must show identification at the door controller. She said digital identification documents are not accepted. Voters are also marked with indelible ink, which she said takes a few days to remove and protects the integrity of the process.

Voters in metropolitan municipalities receive two ballot papers. Voters in local municipalities receive a third ballot, the district PR ballot. That ballot decides 40% of the seats in the district council.

Ramatlhodi said a ballot that is not stamped at the back will count as spoiled. She also said more than one mark on a ballot could lead to it being declared invalid.

Key facts

Who
Mmakgabo Ramatlhodi (IEC assistant manager); Electoral Commission of South Africa (election management body outlining the voting process); Bongani Bingwa (702 radio presenter)
What
An explainer sets out the steps voters will go through at polling stations for the 2026 local government elections, including identification checks, ink marking, ballot types and marking rules. The IEC's Mmakgabo Ramatlhodi explains the process.
When
4 November 2026
Where
South Africa
Status
Reported

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