Most voters queued under 30 minutes in 2026 elections, HSRC finds
The HSRC's Election Satisfaction Survey found most voters waited no more than half an hour and were happy with IEC staff, though gaps remain.
Voters at the 2026 Local Government Elections spent less time in queues and were largely happy with the people running the process, according to a survey by the Human Sciences Research Council (HSRC). SAnews reported on the findings on Friday.
HSRC researcher Dr Ben Roberts presented the results to the media at the National Results Operations Centre in Midrand. The 2026 Election Satisfaction Survey looked at how voters experienced the process on Election Day.
Waiting times and getting to the station
Some 91% of voters said they queued for no more than 30 minutes before casting their ballot. The HSRC said this reversed the longer waits seen in 2024 and brought times back to the level recorded in the 2021 local elections.
Getting to a voting station was also easy for most people: 90% travelled 30 minutes or less.
How voters rated IEC officials
Overall, 95% of voters were satisfied with the service from Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) staff, in line with earlier elections. Voters scored officials on six qualities, and the share saying officials showed each quality to a great extent was:
- Helpfulness: 79%
- Patience: 78%
- Professionalism: 78%
- Friendliness: 77%
- Trustworthiness: 74%
- Impartiality: 65%
Impartiality received the lowest score of the six.
On accessibility, 86% of voters, whether or not they have a disability, said stations were accessible to older people and those with disabilities. Arrangements for vulnerable groups were mostly viewed positively. Ratings were lower for people with visual impairments, expectant mothers and people with babies, which the survey linked mainly to uncertainty.
Ballots, procedures and voter education
Most voters found the process straightforward. About 58% said the procedures inside the station were very easy to follow and 38% said they were easy. On the ballot paper, 93% found it easy to spot their preferred party or candidate, and 94% were satisfied with the ballot papers.
Information was still a weak point. Some 13% of voters said they had far too little information about voting procedures and another 13% said they had too little. The Eastern Cape recorded the highest share of voters short on information, and the Northern Cape the lowest.
The IEC’s voter education campaign was rated very effective by 60% of respondents and somewhat effective by 28%. Radio and television were each rated very useful by 61% of voters, with social media at 59%.
What this means for voters
The HSRC said intimidation, impartiality, inclusive voting and information gaps need targeted attention to strengthen future elections. In practice, that points to clearer information about how to vote and better support for voters who need extra assistance.
Researchers interviewed randomly chosen voters at 300 voting stations and completed 13 198 interviews in all nine provinces. The response rate was 88%, and the margin of error was below 1%.
This story is based on reporting by SAnews.
