South Africa's Electoral Commission (IEC) apologised on Monday after late ballot papers delayed voting at 217 stations in Cape Town. Monday was the first day of special voting for the 2026 Local Government Elections, Daily Maverick reported. Despite the problems, the commission called the day a positive start.
The IEC said ballot distribution ran into the early hours of Monday. It was not finished by the scheduled 8am opening time. All 217 affected stations later opened. They stayed open until 6pm instead of 5pm so more people could vote. The commission said the delays were not politically motivated. It blamed pressure on ballot production and distribution.
Special voting is for registered voters who cannot reach their stations on Election Day because of disability, illness or work. The IEC estimated that 780,000 special votes were cast across the country on Monday.
IEC CEO Sy Mamabolo said some problems were bound to happen in an operation of this size. "When you deal with a programme as big as an election, involving 127,000 staff members and 23,000 voting stations, aberrations are going to arise," he told a media briefing in Midrand. He said performance would improve on Tuesday and again on Wednesday, because staff had now put their training into practice.
Two election officials were involved in incidents on Monday. In KwaZulu-Natal, a deputy presiding officer was hit by a car on the way to a voting station in the uKhahlamba district. The official remained in hospital. In North West, a presiding officer collapsed at her station and later died, the IEC said.
Ballot secrecy was also questioned. SABC political analyst Kanyi Magubane said booths at Rivonia Village Hall were set up so that officials and others could see how people marked their ballots. The IEC said booths are meant to be arranged "ATM-style". This lets officials watch the process without seeing the ballot and stops voters from photographing their papers. The commission said it could instruct officials not to look over voters' shoulders.
Special voting continues on Tuesday from 8am to 5pm, ahead of the main Election Day on Wednesday, November 4. The IEC asked voters approved for home visits to stay at the addresses they gave. It said officials will not return for a second visit.