South Africa Votes Nov. 4: Holiday, Hours, ID, Where to Vote
South Africa holds its local government elections on Wednesday, Nov. 4, 2026, and President Cyril Ramaphosa has declared the day a public holiday under the Public Holidays Act (EWN). Voting stations are open from 7 am to 9 pm across the country, the Electoral Commission (IEC) calendar shows, and in local elections you can only vote at the station where you are registered (SAnews). The voters' roll closed on Aug. 7, when the Cooperative Governance minister, Velenkosini Hlabisa, proclaimed the election.
More than 29 million people are registered, the IEC said (Jacaranda FM), and it has secured 23,696 voting stations: 22,668 permanent, 995 temporary and 33 mobile (Sunday Tribune).
South Africa election day 2026: key dates
| Date | What happens |
|---|---|
| Fri. Aug. 7 | The Cooperative Governance minister proclaims the election and the voters' roll closes |
| Mon. Oct. 12 | Special-vote applications closed, at 5 pm |
| Mon. Nov. 2 and Tue. Nov. 3 | Special voting, 8 am to 5 pm, for approved applicants |
| Wed. Nov. 4 | Election day, a public holiday: voting stations open from 7 am to 9 pm |
The dates come from the IEC calendar, the proclamation and the IEC's special-vote announcement.
Where do I vote? How to check your voting station
- SMS: send your ID number to 32810 to get your voting station and your voters' roll sequence number, the IEC says (Sunday Tribune). SAnews has also described the message as “myID” followed by your ID number (SAnews).
- WhatsApp: send “Hi” to 0600 88 0000 and choose the “Am I registered” menu.
- Phone: call the IEC contact centre on 0800 11 8000, which is toll free.
- Online: the IEC's pages on voting districts and stations and its 2026 elections page.
If you have moved since you registered, you can still only vote at the station where you are registered, the IEC warns (SAnews). The roll is closed, so that cannot be changed for this election.
What to bring to vote
Bring your ID, the IEC reminds voters (IEC). The documents the IEC names for registration are a green barcoded ID book, a smart ID card or a valid Temporary Identity Certificate (SAnews). Voting stations open at 7 am and close at 9 pm, and the IEC calendar lists the same hours nationwide.
Special votes on Nov. 2 and 3
The IEC has approved about 2.6 million special-vote applications: 678,000 for home visits and 1.9 million for voting-station special votes, chief electoral officer Sy Mamabolo said (SABC News). Special voting is on Monday, Nov. 2 and Tuesday, Nov. 3, from 8 am to 5 pm (IEC calendar).
- Home visits: for people who cannot go to a voting station because of a physical condition, when IEC officials visit approved voters at home.
- Voting-station special votes: for people who can go to their station but cannot vote there on election day, such as those in essential services, security services and the media, who will vote on Nov. 2 or 3 (ECR).
The application window closed on Oct. 12, so you cannot apply now. If you do not have an approved special vote, you vote on Nov. 4.
What is on the ballot?
All councillors are being elected in the 8 metropolitan and 205 local municipalities, and 40% of councillors in the 44 district municipalities. Metro and local-municipality voters elect a ward councillor and cast a party vote, which fills the proportional seats. Voters outside the metros get a third ballot for their district council, Wikipedia's summary of the elections explains. The country has 4,488 municipal wards (SAnews).
Matric exams and grant payments around election day
- Matric: no matric papers are written on Nov. 3, 4, 5 and 9, the Department of Basic Education's timetable shows. See our matric timetable page.
- Grants: SASSA has moved the November grant payments to Oct. 30, Nov. 2 and Nov. 3 because of the election. See our SASSA payment dates page.
Dates, hours and numbers are from the IEC calendar, SAnews, EWN, SABC News, Sunday Tribune, Jacaranda FM and ECR, as published up to Oct. 14, 2026, and are correct as of Oct. 15. Check the IEC for any change before election day.
