A WEB

The Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC SA) has launched a nationwide Online Voter Registration Campaign ahead of the 2026 Municipal Elections, running alongside its annual Tertiary Institutions Campaign targeting students at universities and Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) colleges.

South Africa holds local government elections every five years, with the 2026 municipal elections set to determine ward councillors and party representation in municipalities across all nine provinces. Voter registration is a prerequisite for participation, making the IEC’s outreach efforts critical to ensuring broad democratic representation.

First introduced in 2021, the IEC SA’s self-service online voter registration portal enables citizens to register, update their details, and verify their registration status remotely. The system has significantly improved the accessibility and efficiency of the registration process, particularly for younger, tech-savvy voters. To date this year, the portal has recorded 26,743 new registrations, bringing the total number of registered voters to 27,718,204. Young people now account for 7,756,911 of those registered – a figure that reflects steady progress, while underscoring the continued need to mobilise youth participation.

Chief Electoral Officer Sy Mamabolo emphasised the IEC SA’s commitment to inclusive participation: “We urge all eligible South Africans to register online, and those already registered to verify and, where necessary, update their address details. In the 2026 Municipal Elections, you register where you live and vote where you are registered – ensuring that voters can shape the affairs of their communities by participating in elections in the wards where they ordinarily reside.” 

Complementing the online drive, the IEC SA’s Tertiary Institutions Campaign – now in its fifth year – was launched at Taletso TVET College in Zeerust, in the North West province, on 18 February 2026, where more than 3,000 students were introduced to electoral processes. The campaign combines voter registration with civic education, aiming to cultivate a culture of informed democratic participation among young South Africans.

The results speak to the campaign’s growing impact: between 2022 and 2024, more than 94,000 university students were reached, with 6,292 registered during campus visits, while over 104,000 TVET college students were engaged, resulting in 13,659 registrations. In 2025 alone, 197 tertiary institutions were visited, more than 77,000 students were reached, and over 60,000 were registered.

With the 2026 elections on the horizon, this year’s campaign places an even greater emphasis on boosting registration and voter participation – ensuring that South Africa’s communities are represented by citizens who are informed, registered, and ready to vote.