Local government elections: How to check your voter registration and station

GARDEN ROUTE NEWS - Millions of South Africans will head to the polls and cast their votes in the local government elections (LGEs) on Wednesday 4 November, which was recently declared a public holiday by President Cyril Ramaphosa.
LGEs, also known as municipal elections, take place every five years.

Through these elections, residents of a municipality or metro determine who will run their local government.

Parties and candidates elected to a local municipality develop the by-laws that regulate the affairs, services and administration within their communities.

Many first-time voters (or those needing a refresher) are unsure of what comes next after they have successfully registered to vote.

Here is a simple guide to checking your voter registration status and voting station for the upcoming LGEs.

The same website you used to register to vote is the same website where you will check all your election-related queries.

1. Visit the Independent Electoral Commission’s (IEC) website on elections.org.za.
2. Select the option on the IEC’s home page to check your registration status and input your 13-digit South African ID number.
3. Once your ID number has been verified, a light green banner will appear with the words, “You are registered”, thus confirming your registration status.
4. Directly beneath this confirmation, you will find your ward and voting district details, and the name and address of your voting station.

The allocated voting station is typically located nearest to your residential address, which you provided on the IEC’s website when you registered to vote.

The stations are usually at local churches, schools, or community centres.

Before casting your vote, read up on the various candidates of each campaigning political party, as well as the parties themselves, by visiting the “Qualified Candidates for the LGE 2026” tab on the IEC’s website, also found on the home page.

A list of each candidate and the party they belong to is contained in a PDF document under the Western Cape section of the Qualified Candidates tab.