IEC Receives Over 800 Complaints as Parties Get Friday Deadline for Formal Objections
- The IEC gave political parties and independent candidates until 5 PM on Friday to file formal objections following the voting process
- More than 800 complaints were submitted, with most centring on allegations that party agents were blocked from observing voting and counting
- IEC Deputy Chief Electoral Officer Masego Sheburi addressed the complaints while vote verification was still underway
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SOUTH AFRICA — The Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) set a 6 November 2026 deadline for political parties and independent candidates to lodge formal objections after the voting process from the 2026 Local Government Elections drew more than 800 complaints from contestants.
The bulk of those complaints centred on allegations that party agents were prevented from observing voting and counting procedures, raising concerns about the integrity of the process among participants.
IEC Deputy CEO defends electoral process
According to eNCA, IEC Deputy Chief Electoral Officer Masego Sheburi addressed the complaints publicly while vote verification was still in progress. Sheburi defended the commission's management of the process and indicated that the overwhelming majority of submitted complaints had already been resolved. As of Thursday evening, approximately 106 matters remained unresolved.
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Sheburi acknowledged that political parties and candidates retained their statutory right to raise material objections. He drew a clear distinction between general complaints and formal section-based objections, explaining that contestants had a dedicated window to submit the latter if they believed a specific issue had the potential to alter the final election outcome.
Results to be declared after objections reviewed
The Deputy CEO reiterated that the IEC operates within established legislative rules and procedures. He confirmed that the commission would review every submission thoroughly before making any official announcement, and that final results would only be declared once all outstanding objections had been fully examined and resolved.
The commission's position signals that the declaration of results remains contingent on the outcome of the objections review process, with the Friday deadline serving as the cutoff for any further formal challenges.
View a video from the IEC about the counting process here:
Ballot papers, stamp stolen from eThekwini
In a related article, Briefly News reported on the theft of unused ballot papers and an official stamp from a Ward 2 voting station in eThekwini during South Africa’s 2026 local government elections.
The IEC opened a police case and removed all staff at the affected station from duty. Deputy chief electoral officer Masego Sheburi said the stolen stamp can be distinguished from those used on election day, making attempts to pass off fraudulent ballots detectable.
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Source: Briefly News
