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Long queues delay voting at Cape Metro polling stations

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Ongoing: Elections Hot

Empty school hall with plain voting booths lined up along the walls in morning light.

Some voters at Cape Metro polling stations said they waited up to six hours to cast ballots on election day. The Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) in the province said it had fixed faulty voter management devices and deployed more staff.

Voting at several stations across the Cape Metro ran late into the afternoon and evening, with delays and frustration. In Mfuleni, many voters gave up on the queues. One voter there said the queues stopped people from exercising their right to choose.

The IEC in the Western Cape said the voter management devices that caused problems had been fixed. It said it sent more staff to the affected areas.

A first-time voter in Delft said he was not a political person but believed change was needed. Reports also named Knysna, Judah Square and the West Coast among the places affected.

Key facts

Who
IEC (Electoral body that said voter management devices had been resolved and more…)
What
Voting at several polling stations across the Cape Metro was marked by long queues, delays and frustration late into the afternoon and evening. The IEC in the province said earlier that voter management devices that caused hiccups had been resolved and more staff were deployed. In Mfuleni, many voters gave up on the queues.
When
4 November 2026
Where
Cape Metro, Mfuleni, Delft
Status
Reported

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