CAPE TOWN, Nov. 2 (Xinhua) -- Delayed delivery of ballot papers disrupted the first day of special voting for South Africa's 2026 Local Government Elections in Cape Town on Monday, local media reported.
As a result, 217 voting stations across the Cape Town metropolitan area could not open at the scheduled time of 8 a.m. (GMT 0600).
The Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) in the Western Cape attributed the disruption to unforeseen delays in the delivery of special voting ballots by the printing company contracted to produce them, according to the South African Government News Agency (SA News).
Western Cape Provincial Electoral Officer Michael Hendrickse said the affected voting stations would open as soon as ballot papers arrived.
"Despite the best efforts of the IEC and the printing company contracted to carry out the production of the ballots, there has been an unforeseen delay in the delivery of Special Vote ballots in some areas," Hendrickse said, as quoted by SA News.
He described the situation as fluid and assured voters that security measures were in place for the transportation and delivery of the outstanding ballots. He also apologized for the inconvenience, saying the delays affected only the Cape Town Metro, while voting stations in other parts of the Western Cape were operating smoothly.
Local media reported that several voters who arrived early on Monday were unable to cast their ballots because their designated voting stations had not yet received the necessary papers.
Special voting takes place on Monday and Tuesday, ahead of the main election day on Wednesday. It allows approved voters who are unable to reach their registered polling stations due to physical infirmity or disability, as well as those who will be unavailable on election day, to vote in advance.
According to SA News, 2,655,067 voters nationwide had been approved for special voting. Eligible voters can cast their ballots at designated voting stations or receive home visits, depending on their approved applications.
The IEC said it intended to ensure that all approved voters could exercise their democratic right during the two-day special voting period.
Meanwhile, police in the Western Cape have increased deployments at crime hotspots, transport hubs and taxi routes ahead of the Wednesday elections amid concerns over the ongoing taxi violence and gang activity, local media reported on Monday.
Provincial Police Commissioner of the Western Cape Lieutenant General Sizakhele Dyantyi said additional officers had been deployed to ensure a safe environment for voters, while police were also using intelligence personnel to gather information proactively. ■