South Africa's IEC opens National Results Operations Centre

The Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) has launched its National Results Operations Centre at the Gallagher Convention Centre in Midrand ahead of the municipal elections on 4 November. The facility will host electoral officials, media, and political representatives to monitor the collection and publication of election results.

Chief Electoral Officer Sy Mamabolo confirmed that the results system has passed independent testing and auditing. He stated that issues identified during the audit process have been remediated and the system is now “ready and fit for purpose.” To enhance transparency, technical specialists from five political parties, including the ANC, DA, and EFF, were granted access to examine the system's integrity and security in early October.

Regarding the counting process, the IEC noted that approximately 2.65 million special-vote applications have been approved. While special voting occurs on 2 and 3 November, these ballots will be counted alongside election-day votes after polling closes on Wednesday. Consequently, the results board will not show movement during the special voting period.