Queues, technical glitches mark Western Cape voting amid fears of low voter turnout
More than 824 000 people had voted in the Western Cape by midday in the 2026 local government elections, while offline voter-management devices caused delays at some stations and parties raised concerns about turnout in Cape Town’s townships and Cape Flats.
Voting in the Western Cape on Monday proceeded smoothly with no major incidents, despite concerns over a potential low voter turnout in the City of Cape Town. Long queues formed in suburban areas as voters trickled into polling stations in the Cape Flats and townships. Delays were experienced due to offline voter management devices (VMDs), prompting the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) to deploy additional staff to manage waiting times.
By midday, over 800,000 ballots had been cast, with more than half coming from the City of Cape Town. The IEC confirmed that all 1,623 voting stations were open, though some faced technical issues with VMDs. Provincial Electoral Officer Michael Hendricks assured that problems with the VMDs had been resolved, and additional staff and materials would be deployed to further alleviate congestion.
The IEC confirmed that police evicted an armed and disruptive voter in Mitchells Plain, and one official was dismissed for allegedly working under the influence. While parties expressed satisfaction with the voting process, concerns lingered about voter turnout, particularly in the Cape Flats and townships. The African National Congress (ANC) noted that voter turnout was lower in these areas compared to the suburbs, which could impact election results.
Despite some teething problems, all parties involved appeared confident in the voting process's overall success.
Written by urgent.news from IOL's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
