Checked 18 Oct 2026.
Where the Other elections facts come from
Every fact on the Other elections page, with the sources we used. We save a copy of each source on the day we read it.
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Side by side
How do local elections compare?
In local elections, voters elect municipal councils. In 2026 there are 257 councils with 10 526 seats. There are 8 metros, 44 districts and 205 local municipalities.
Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC). Published 16 September 2026.
Where to look: Section 'Publication of the final candidate lists', paragraph beginning 'An unprecedented 136 790 candidates' and the sentence 'There are cumulatively 10 526 seats to be contested across the board.'
Voters in metros get two ballots. One is for a ward councillor and one is for a party. In local municipalities, voters also get a third ballot, for the district council.
Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC). Page is undated; read 18 October 2026.
Where to look: Step 4 (ballot papers): 'for municipal elections voters in metros and local councils receive two ballot papers ... Voters in areas which form part of a district council receive a third ballot paper'
Party seats go only to parties. So independent candidates stand for ward seats. In 2026 there are 621 independent ward candidates.
Department of Justice and Constitutional Development. Page is undated; read 18 October 2026.
Where to look: Section 157(2)(a), page 77: proportional representation from lists of party candidates
Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC). Page is undated; read 18 October 2026.
Where to look: Opening paragraph: how to contest a municipal election as an independent ward candidate
Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC). Published 16 September 2026.
Where to look: Section 'Publication of the final candidate lists': 621 independent ward candidates
In metros and local municipalities, half the seats are ward seats and half are party seats. So, in general, each party's seats match its share of the votes. In a district council, local councils choose 60% of the members. Voters choose the rest with a party vote.
South African Government. Page is undated; read 18 October 2026.
Where to look: Section 22(2) and (3), page 15; section 23(2) and (3), page 16 (60% kept by the 2021 amendment, section 11)
Department of Justice and Constitutional Development. Page is undated; read 18 October 2026.
Where to look: Section 157(3), page 77
Voters do not elect the mayor directly. The new council elects the mayor from its own councillors.
South African Government. Page is undated; read 18 October 2026.
Where to look: Section 48(1), page 22 (mayor) and section 55(1), page 24 (executive mayor)
To vote, you must be a citizen. You must be 18 or older. You must be on the voters' roll for that municipality. You vote in the voting district where you are registered. South Africans abroad cannot vote in municipal elections.
Department of Justice and Constitutional Development. Page is undated; read 18 October 2026.
Where to look: Section 157(5), page 78: a person may vote in a municipality only if registered on that municipality's segment of the voters' roll
Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC). Page is undated; read 18 October 2026.
Where to look: Section 'What is a voting district?': 'You may only register and vote in the voting district in which you live.'
Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC). Page is undated; read 18 October 2026.
Where to look: Section on registering as a voter abroad: they cannot vote in 'municipal elections'
Councils are elected for five years. The last local elections were on 1 November 2021. The next are on Wednesday 4 November 2026.
South African Government. Page is undated; read 18 October 2026.
Where to look: Section 24(1), page 16
Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC). Page is undated; read 18 October 2026.
Where to look: Paragraph ending 'the elections must be held between 2 November 2026 and 30 January 2027' ('The elections of the current municipal councils were held on 1 November 2021')
Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC). Published 7 August 2026.
Where to look: Paragraphs 1 and 2: election proclaimed for 4 November 2026; timetable published
National and provincial
How does a national election work?
In a national election, voters elect the National Assembly. It has 400 seats. The Constitution allows between 350 and 400.
Department of Justice and Constitutional Development. Page is undated; read 18 October 2026.
Where to look: Section 46(1), page 26: 'no fewer than 350 and no more than 400 women and men'
SAnews. Published 2 June 2024.
Where to look: Paragraph beginning 'The parties which received the most votes': 'the 400-member National Assembly'
In 2024, voters got two ballots for the National Assembly. One was the national ballot. It had only parties on it. The other was the regional ballot. It was for their province. It had parties and independent candidates. A third ballot was for their province's legislature.
SAnews. Published 24 May 2024.
Where to look: Paragraphs beginning 'The national ballot', 'The regional or province-to-national ballots' and 'The provincial ballots' (IEC description)
South African Government. Published 17 April 2023.
Where to look: Section 21, new Schedule 1A item 1(a) and (b), Gazette page 22: regional seats filled by independents and party candidates; compensatory seats filled from party lists
The third ballot was new in 2024. It came from a 2023 law, the Electoral Amendment Act. This law lets independent candidates stand for the National Assembly. They can also stand for provincial legislatures. These people do not belong to a party. Before, only parties could.
South African Government. Published 17 April 2023.
Where to look: New section 31A(1), Gazette page 6: nomination of independent candidates for the National Assembly and provincial legislatures
SAnews. Published 24 May 2024.
Where to look: Paragraphs beginning 'The use of the three ballots follows the amendment of the Electoral Act' and 'This amendment revised the electoral system'
On the ballot, an independent candidate is shown with their name, photo and the word INDEPENDENT. A party is shown with its full name, short name, logo and the photo of its leader.
SAnews. Published 24 May 2024.
Where to look: List after 'the design of the ballot papers will be underpinned by the following identifiers' and list after 'In respect of independent candidates, the ballot papers will have'
An independent candidate can stand in more than one region. But they can win only one seat in the National Assembly. No independent candidate won a seat in 2024.
South African Government. Published 17 April 2023.
Where to look: New section 31A(1)(a), Gazette page 6: 'in one or more regions for the National Assembly but may be elected to only one seat'
Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC). Page is undated; read 18 October 2026.
Where to look: Section 'Political Funding': 'NPE2024 did not yield any representation for independent candidates.'
Half the seats (200) are regional seats. In each province, they are shared out by the votes for parties and independent candidates. The other 200 go to parties only. They are shared so that each party's total seats match its share of the party votes on both ballots.
South African Government. Published 17 April 2023.
Where to look: New Schedule 1A item 1 (Gazette page 22), item 5 (regional seats, Gazette pages 22-24) and item 6(a) to (d) (compensatory seats, Gazette page 24)
Department of Justice and Constitutional Development. Page is undated; read 18 October 2026.
Where to look: Section 46(1)(d), page 26: the electoral system must result, in general, in proportional representation
Voters do not elect the President directly. The National Assembly elects the President from its own members. It does this at its first meeting after an election.
Department of Justice and Constitutional Development. Page is undated; read 18 October 2026.
Where to look: Section 86(1), page 47
To vote you must be a South African citizen aged 18 or older and registered on the voters' roll. You can register from age 16.
Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC). Page is undated; read 18 October 2026.
Where to look: Section 'Who can register?'
Department of Justice and Constitutional Development. Page is undated; read 18 October 2026.
Where to look: Section 46(1)(c), page 26 (minimum voting age of 18) and section 19(3)(a), page 8 (every adult citizen may vote)
South Africans abroad can vote in national elections. But they must have registered first. They must have done it before the election was officially announced. They get just the national ballot. They do not get the regional ballot. They do not get the provincial ballot either.
Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC). Page is undated; read 18 October 2026.
Where to look: Section on registering as a voter abroad: register 'before proclamation of the election'; 'South Africans abroad can only vote in South Africa's national elections; they cannot vote in the provincial elections, regional elections for National Assembly, or municipal elections'
South African Government. Published 7 May 2024.
Where to look: Section 32, Gazette page 30: new section 33(5) of the Electoral Act, voters under section 33(3), (4) or (4A) may only vote for the compensatory seats
Inside South Africa, you can vote in a different voting district. But you must tell the IEC first. If you do not, you cannot vote there. You must tell them by the date in the election timetable. If the district is in another province, you get only the national ballot.
South African Government. Published 7 May 2024.
Where to look: Section 31, Gazette page 30: new section 24A of the Electoral Act (notice to the chief electoral officer; regional and provincial ballots only within the province where registered)
Vuk'uzenzele. Page is undated; read 18 October 2026.
Where to look: Paragraphs beginning 'In terms of the new Electoral Amendment Act, Section 24A' and 'If you vote inside the province where you are registered' (2024 election)
Bring your green bar-coded ID book, smart-card ID or a valid temporary identity certificate.
Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC). Page is undated; read 18 October 2026.
Where to look: Step 2, 'Present your valid identification document to the door controller'
Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC). Page is undated; read 18 October 2026.
Where to look: Section 'What documents do I need to apply for registration?'
The National Assembly is elected for five years. The election must be held within 90 days after its term ends. This also applies if it is closed down early.
Department of Justice and Constitutional Development. Page is undated; read 18 October 2026.
Where to look: Section 49(1) and (2), page 27; section 50 (early dissolution), page 28
The last national election was on 29 May 2024. The IEC announced the results on 2 June 2024.
SAnews. Published 2 June 2024.
Where to look: Paragraphs beginning 'The Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) declared the official results' (Sunday) and 'South Africans on 29 May voted using three ballots'; article dated 2 June 2024
How does a provincial election work?
Voters in each of the nine provinces elect a provincial legislature. Each has between 30 and 80 members. The IEC sets the number for each province using population data.
Department of Justice and Constitutional Development. Page is undated; read 18 October 2026.
Where to look: Section 105(2), page 55
SAnews. Published 16 February 2024.
Where to look: Paragraphs 2 and 3: seats determined under section 105(2) of the Constitution and Schedule 3 of the Electoral Act, taking into account population data
You get one ballot for your provincial legislature. It lists the parties and independent candidates standing in your province.
SAnews. Published 24 May 2024.
Where to look: Paragraph beginning 'The provincial ballots' and the last paragraph ('voters will elect a preferred party or independent candidate on a single provincial ballot')
South African Government. Published 17 April 2023.
Where to look: New section 31A(1)(b), Gazette page 6; Schedule 1A item 10, Gazette page 30
Each party's seats match its share of the votes in the province. An independent candidate can win at most one seat.
South African Government. Published 17 April 2023.
Where to look: New Schedule 1A item 11(a) to (e), Gazette page 30
Voters do not elect the Premier directly. The provincial legislature elects the Premier from its own members. It does this at its first meeting after an election.
Department of Justice and Constitutional Development. Page is undated; read 18 October 2026.
Where to look: Section 128(1), page 64
The same voters can vote as in the national election. But you vote for the legislature of the province where you are registered. Voters abroad cannot vote in provincial elections.
Department of Justice and Constitutional Development. Page is undated; read 18 October 2026.
Where to look: Section 105(1)(b) and (c), pages 54-55: based on that province's segment of the voters' roll; minimum voting age 18
Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC). Page is undated; read 18 October 2026.
Where to look: Section on registering as a voter abroad: 'they cannot vote in the provincial elections'
Provincial legislatures are elected for five years. The election must be held within 90 days after the term ends. In 2024, the provincial elections were on the same day as the national election.
Department of Justice and Constitutional Development. Page is undated; read 18 October 2026.
Where to look: Section 108(1) and (2), page 56
SAnews. Published 2 June 2024.
Where to look: Paragraph beginning 'South Africans on 29 May voted using three ballots' (National Ballot, National Regional Ballot and Provincial Legislature Ballot)
Voters do not elect the National Council of Provinces (NCOP). Each province sends a group of 10 delegates. They are the Premier or a stand-in, three other special delegates and six permanent delegates.
Department of Justice and Constitutional Development. Page is undated; read 18 October 2026.
Where to look: Section 60(1) to (3), page 32
NCOP delegates are people each province sends to the NCOP. Each party in a provincial legislature gets some delegates. The Constitution has a formula. It sets how many each party gets. The legislature names its permanent delegates. It has 30 days to do this. The 30 days start when its election result is announced.
Department of Justice and Constitutional Development. Page is undated; read 18 October 2026.
Where to look: Section 61(1) and (2)(a), page 32
Municipalities have one body that speaks for all of them. It can send up to 10 part-time members to the NCOP. They can speak there, but they cannot vote.
Department of Justice and Constitutional Development. Page is undated; read 18 October 2026.
Where to look: Section 67, page 35
By-elections and other votes
What is a by-election?
A by-election is held in a ward when its ward councillor's seat becomes empty. This can happen after a death or a resignation, for example. Voters in that ward then elect a new ward councillor.
South African Government. Page is undated; read 18 October 2026.
Where to look: Section 25(1)(d), pages 16-17: a by-election must be held if a vacancy in a ward occurs
Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC). Page is undated; read 18 October 2026.
Where to look: Section 'Election of Representatives': 'The only way to elect or replace a ward councillor is by way of an election in the concerned ward.'
A by-election is also held in three other cases. One is when a court cancels an election. Another is when a council is closed down early. The last is when the IEC cannot declare a result in time.
South African Government. Page is undated; read 18 October 2026.
Where to look: Section 25(1)(a) to (c), pages 16-17
South African Government. Published 1 June 2021.
Where to look: Section 12(a), Gazette page 8: substituted section 25(1)(a) and (b)
A by-election is not held for councillors chosen from a party's list. Instead, the IEC names the next person on that list as the new councillor.
South African Government. Page is undated; read 18 October 2026.
Where to look: Schedule 1, item 18(1)(a), page 44; section 25(7), page 17
Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC). Page is undated; read 18 October 2026.
Where to look: Section 'Election of Representatives', paragraph beginning 'The second category of councillors'
A party can put up ward candidates. People can also stand on their own, as independents.
Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC). Page is undated; read 18 October 2026.
Where to look: Section 'Election of Representatives': ward councillors 'can be nominated by a political party or be an individual not associated with a party- independent candidate'
Only registered voters in that ward can vote in its by-election.
South African Government. Page is undated; read 18 October 2026.
Where to look: Section 22(1)(b), page 15: ward councillors are elected by registered voters in the respective wards
Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC). Page is undated; read 18 October 2026.
Where to look: Paragraph urging voters to update their address details so they can take part 'in by-elections in wards where they are ordinarily resident'
A by-election does not elect a mayor and does not start a new council term.
South African Government. Page is undated; read 18 October 2026.
Where to look: Section 25(5), page 17 (term not interrupted); section 48(1), page 22 (council elects the mayor)
The province's MEC for local government (the provincial minister) calls the by-election. It must be held within 90 days after the seat becomes empty. If the next local elections must be held within nine months, there is no by-election.
South African Government. Published 1 June 2021.
Where to look: Section 12(c) and (e), Gazette pages 8-10: substituted section 25(3) and (6)
By-elections happen throughout a council's term. The IEC says it has run an average of 112 by-elections a year over the past 15 years.
Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC). Page is undated; read 18 October 2026.
Where to look: Section 'Election of Representatives': 'Over the past 15 years, the average number of by-elections administered in a financial year stands at hundred and twelve (112).'
By-elections were held in 2026. For example, two wards voted on Wednesday 24 June 2026.
Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC). Page is undated; read 18 October 2026.
Where to look: Opening paragraph: 'In the by-elections held on Wednesday, 24 June 2026'
Bring the same ID as for any other election. It can be a green bar-coded ID book. It can be a smart-card ID. Or it can be a valid temporary identity certificate.
Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC). Page is undated; read 18 October 2026.
Where to look: Step 2, 'Present your valid identification document to the door controller' (general IEC voting steps, not specific to by-elections)
What other votes are there?
Every adult citizen has the right to vote in secret. This is true for three kinds of election. One is for the National Assembly. One is for provincial legislatures. One is for municipal councils. The IEC runs all of them.
Department of Justice and Constitutional Development. Page is undated; read 18 October 2026.
Where to look: Section 19(3)(a), page 8; section 190(1)(a), page 96
The President can call a national referendum. That is a vote on one question, not on people or parties. An Act of Parliament sets the rules.
Department of Justice and Constitutional Development. Page is undated; read 18 October 2026.
Where to look: Section 84(2)(g), page 46
A Premier can call a referendum in their province, in line with national law.
Department of Justice and Constitutional Development. Page is undated; read 18 October 2026.
Where to look: Section 127(2)(f), page 64
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