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The Electoral Commission (IEC) in KwaZulu-Natal said it is fully prepared for the voter registration weekend this Saturday and Sunday, with more than 5.7 million registered voters and 5 021 voting stations set to open across the province.

All voting stations will operate from 8 am to 5 pm, allowing eligible citizens to register, re-register or update their details ahead of the 2026 Local Government Elections.

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The elections will be held on November 4.

The Commission said the province currently has 5 764 286 registered voters, accounting for 20.5% of the national voters’ roll, making it one of the largest voting populations in the country.

The number of voting districts has increased to 5 021, up from 4 974 used in the 2024 National and Provincial Elections, following changes to ward boundaries by the Municipal Demarcation Board.

KZN now accounts for 21% of all voting districts nationally.

The ward re-determination process saw the number of wards increase from 901 in 2021 to 921 for the upcoming elections.

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This resulted in some voters being reassigned to new wards and voting districts.

To address this, the IEC said it conducted a targeted communication and registration campaign in May, reaching 1 188 affected voting districts.

The campaign resulted in 15 689 new voter registrations and 93 224 updates to existing voter details.

The Commission said it has deployed 10 042 trained registration officials across all voting stations and confirmed that all required materials, including Voter Management Devices (VMDs), have been delivered to all 44 municipalities.

A total of 7 908 VMDs will be used to capture voter information, verify citizenship in real time and ensure accurate updates to the voters’ roll.

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Additional devices will be allocated to high-volume areas to reduce waiting times.

The IEC said all systems, including the voter registration app and online portal, have undergone external testing and are fully operational.

Despite the overall readiness, the Commission has raised concern about low youth registration levels.

Of the country’s 28 million voters, about 4.5 million are aged between 18 and 29, but first-time voter participation in this group remains low.

Women continue to make up the majority of registered voters in KwaZulu-Natal, accounting for 56% of the voters’ roll.

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The IEC has urged voters to verify their registration details, particularly their addresses, as voters will only be allowed to vote in the wards where they are registered.

Voters can check or update their details by visiting a voting station this weekend, going to the IEC’s online voter portal, or sending their ID number via SMS.

The Commission said it is working closely with security agencies and government departments to ensure a safe, accessible and efficient registration weekend across the province.