The Electoral Commission has confirmed the voting situation in the Western Cape ahead of the 2026 Local Government Elections, with 14,349 candidates contesting ward or mayoral positions across the province on 4 November.

The Electoral Commission said that 106 political parties and 33 independent candidates are vying for seats across all 416 wards in 25 municipalities.

Of the 14,349 candidates contesting the elections, 9,847 are standing for the 416 ward seats, while a further 4,502 are contesting 452 proportional representation (PR) seats.

The candidate field includes 8,780 men and 5,569 women.

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However, candidates who failed to comply with the relevant requirements will not participate in the election, amid changes to the Electoral Commission’s candidate nomination and verification process.

Meanwhile, more than 3.45 million Western Cape residents are registered to vote, with 3,456,345 voters expected to cast their ballots.

Western Cape Provincial Electoral Officer Michael Hendrickse said the scale of participation reflects the importance of local government elections, and the role voters play in shaping the future of their communities.

“This shows South Africans want to actively participate in decisions that affect them. Meanwhile, the IEC will continue with its preparations to ensure that the elections are conducted in a free, fair and credible manner,” Hendrickse said.

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