The Electoral Commission (IEC) says printing more than 100 million ballot papers, while accommodating late court-ordered changes, was one of its biggest logistical challenges in the run-up to the 2026 Local Government Elections.
IEC Chief Electoral Officer Sy Mamabolo says although 15.2 million South Africans ultimately took part in the vote, preparations were significantly disrupted by a Constitutional Court ruling issued on 15 October that required amendments to candidate lists.
The order affected 181 ANC candidates across six municipalities, rendering an estimated 28 million ballot papers unusable and forcing the commission to reprint material within tight deadlines.
Mamabolo says the IEC extended the same accommodation to 32 other political parties facing similar circumstances, underscoring its commitment to fairness, consistency and equal treatment throughout the electoral process.
Mamabolo says, “Electoral excellence is tested not only by the deployment of technology but also by the commission’s ability to manage the most fundamental material required for an election: the ballot paper is the instrument through which citizens express their electoral choices. Its production, quality assurance, distribution and security are therefore critical to the integrity and efficiency of the electoral process. In these elections the commission undertook an extensive ballot paper production program resulting in the printing of just over one hundred million ballot papers.”
Mamabolo adds, “This was an undertaking of considerable scale, requiring detailed planning, coordination of production processes, quality assurance and distribution arrangements across the country. The production programme was however significantly affected by the Constitutional Court order handed down on 15 October this year. This order necessitated changes to candidate lists and resulted in approximately 28 million ballot papers being superseded. The order of the constitutional court related to 181 candidates of the ANC in six municipalities. However, ever conscious of its constitutional obligations, the commission extended the same dispensation to a further 32 similarly situated political parties. this was done to advance fairness and the application of the principle of parity of treatment.”
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