Deadline for parties, independent candidates to sign sample ballot, tell me about this news in (https://www.sabcnews.com/sabcnews/1163608-2/)
25-09-2026
This news article reports on an important step in the preparations for South Africa’s Local Government Elections by the Electoral Commission (IEC).
Key details from the report include:
Deadline and Purpose: Political parties and independent candidates were given until the close of business on Friday, 25 September (between 10:00 and 17:00), to sign off on the sample ballot at IEC local offices and headquarters in Centurion. The sample ballot shows exactly how the actual ballot paper will look during voting.
Candidate Certificates: Alongside the signing process, the IEC is issuing candidate certificates to all contesting political parties and independents.
Double-Column Ballots: Due to the large number of political parties competing for proportional representation (PR) seats, voters in major metropolitan municipalitiessuch as the City of Johannesburg, Tshwane, and Ekurhuleniwill receive double-column ballots.
Scale of the Elections: Nearly 137,000 candidates are set to contest municipal seats across the country in the election.