Voting has closed. Official results come from the IEC: results.elections.org.za ↗. This guide stays online as a record of what parties promised, and a promise tracker will follow (see the Manifesto guide).
Local Government ElectionsWed 4 Nov 2026Polls 07:00–21:00Checked 3 Nov 2026
Party manifestos, by province
Every party below has published a 2026 local-election manifesto, or the closest thing to one. Pick your province to see who is contesting there. 546 parties are on ballots nationwide, so this covers the parties with manifestos found in a targeted search, not every name on your ballot. Parties are listed alphabetically; promises are summarised in plain words, so read the manifesto itself before you decide.
Independent voter tool. Not affiliated with any party, candidate or the IEC, and not a recommendation. See the disclaimer at the bottom of the page.
Prints the province you have selected
Promise Tracker
Tracking starts once the IEC declares the results. Every party that wins seats will be tracked with the same method: each promise listed in this guide is marked Not started, In progress, Done or Not kept, and every update links to a source such as a council report, an audit or a news report. No party is tracked more closely than another.
Metro mayoral candidates
Councils elect mayors after the vote. Names come from news reports up to 30 October 2026 and may be incomplete; a party not listed may still be on the ballot.
Parties with a 2026 manifesto
Also contesting · no 2026 manifesto found in this search
How parties were chosen. A party gets a full card when a 2026 local-election manifesto, or a published platform, was found for it in a search of party websites, the IEC and South African news outlets up to 3 November 2026. Parties below are also contesting, but no manifesto was found, so their promises are not summarised. Leaving a party out is not a judgement about it. Parties can send their manifesto to the corrections email to be added.
Party
Where
Note
How to read this
Confirmed here means a source shows the party fielding candidates or a campaign in that province. Check your ballot means the party is registered nationally but this research could not confirm where its candidates stand.
1 · Province
2 · Priorities
3 · Approach
4 · Result
How matching works
Each party's manifesto was scored on 13 local issues: 2 for a specific promise, 1 for a general mention, and 0 when nothing was found in this research. Issues you mark as Top priority count double. Each approach answer adds points only for parties whose manifesto states that approach. A party's percentage is its points divided by the most it could have scored on your answers.
Parties marked Partial had less published detail available, so their scores may understate their full plans. Equal scores are listed alphabetically. Only parties contesting in your province, or that could not be ruled out there, are compared.
Voting day basics
When
Wednesday 4 November 2026. Voting stations are open from 07:00 to 21:00.
Bring
One of these: a green barcoded ID book, a smart ID card, or a temporary ID certificate. These are the only documents the IEC lists.
Where
The voting station for the voting district where you are registered. To check it, SMS your ID number to 32810, call 0800 11 8000, WhatsApp 0600 88 0000, or visit elections.org.za ↗.
Ballots
In metros and local councils you get two ballot papers: one for a ward councillor and one for a party. In district council areas you get a third.
At the station
Your ID is scanned at the door and you get a slip confirming you're registered.
Officials cross your name off the voters' roll and mark your left thumbnail with ink.
You receive your ballot papers. Check that each one has a stamp on the back.
In the booth, make one clear X per ballot, next to your choice. Fold the papers.
Put each ballot in the ballot box.
Mistakes
If you spoil a ballot, ask an official for a new one. Photographing your marked ballot is not allowed.
Your ward
To see who is standing in your ward, enter your address at ballotbox.co.za ↗, an independent site (not the IEC). This research did not find a public candidate search on the IEC's own site.
Mayors
Metro mayoral candidates are listed in the Manifesto guide when you pick Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal, Western Cape, Eastern Cape or Free State.
What this assistant covers. It answers only from the research behind this page, gathered up to 3 November 2026: the parties' 2026 local-election manifestos, where they are contesting, metro mayoral candidates and voting-day basics. It can't search the internet, it doesn't give opinions, and it won't tell you who to vote for. For anything else, ask the IEC (0800 11 8000, WhatsApp 0600 88 0000) or the parties directly.