Election blow: 2,274 candidates from 45 parties left out
A total of 2,274 potential candidates who were captured on the Electoral Commission of South Africa’s (IEC) online nomination system did not make it into the final submission process for the 2026 Local Government Elections.
IEC chairperson Mosotho Moepya said the candidates had been captured on the Online Candidate Nomination System but had not been finally submitted to the Commission by 5 pm on Friday.
The figure comprises 480 potential candidates linked to proportional representation seats and 1,794 potential ward candidates.
The affected candidates were linked to 45 political parties, Moepya said.
He said the Commission would not treat candidates who had only been captured on the system as having formally submitted their nominations.
“The Commission’s position is that in practical terms, these potential candidates have not submitted to the Commission and therefore are not in contention for these elections,” he said.
Candidates not formally submitted
The Commission’s preliminary assessment comes after the conclusion of the statutory period for candidate nominations.
The issue highlights the distinction between candidates whose details were captured during the online nomination process and those whose submissions were successfully completed and received by the Commission.
Moepya said the Commission was now dealing with the submissions that had been formally received as it works towards determining which candidates had met the requirements set out in the electoral framework.
The Commission may require certain parties and independent candidates to provide further documentation, including copies of identity documents and signed acceptance of nomination forms.
The IEC will also deal with cases involving candidates whose names appear in more than one part of the nomination process.
Moepya said the Commission would notify parties, candidates or persons who had nominated candidates where a person appeared as an independent candidate while also appearing on a political party list, or where a candidate appeared on the lists of more than one political party.
The notifications are part of the Commission’s process of ensuring that candidate submissions comply with the applicable electoral requirements.
The IEC is expected to conclude the process with the publication of the final list of candidates who have met the requirements on September 16.
Moepya said the Commission’s approach would be guided by the law as it finalised the candidate process.
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