No ballot selfies, no peeping: IEC cracks down on secrecy ahead of final special vote and election day

The Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) has issued a blunt reminder of voting station rules on the eve of the final day of special voting and Wednesday's main Local Government Elections, warning that photographing marked ballots is a criminal offence and that voting booths must be positioned to block any view of a voter's choice.

Speaking at the Results Operations Centre in Midrand on Monday, Deputy Chief Electoral Officer Masego Sheburi responded to growing concerns about privacy at voting stations after voters questioned whether booths were properly shielded.

Sheburi said presiding officers have clear instructions to prevent voter intimidation and vote-buying schemes that rely on photographic proof.

"The instruction to presiding officers is that the voting booths should be located in what we call an Automated Teller Machine (ATM) position the same way that you use an ATM. You obscure the keypad in this instance the ballot paper with your body so somebody standing behind won't be able to see the ballot. That is critical to balance the right to vote in secrecy as well as inducement of voters being induced to make a mark, take a picture, pass it over to somebody in exchange for something in return," Sheburi said.

The IEC has repeatedly stressed that taking photographs of marked ballot papers is strictly prohibited.

"Taking photographs of marked ballot papers is strictly prohibited," Sheburi said. "Voters have also been urged to mark their ballot papers in private and follow the instructions of election officials."

The warning comes as South Africa heads into the final stretch of the 2026 Local Government Elections. Special voting concludes on Tuesday between 8am and 5pm, before more than 26 million registered voters are expected to vote on Wednesday from 7am to 9pm.

It is the second time in two days the Commission has had to reiterate the do's and don'ts. On Monday evening, Chief Electoral Officer Sy Mamabolo said the first day of special voting had concluded successfully despite ballot delays in Cape Town, but appealed to voters and party supporters to respect secrecy and not interfere with electoral staff.

Election observers and parties have previously raised alarms that in tightly contested wards, particularly in metros like Johannesburg, Tshwane and eThekwini, vote-buying can be rampant. A photo of a ballot is often used as a receipt for cash, food parcels or jobs.

The Commission's rules go beyond photos. Voters are barred from wearing party regalia inside stations, bringing firearms or dangerous weapons, campaigning inside voting boundaries, or attempting to vote more than once. Those already in the queue at 9pm on election day must be allowed to vote, but anyone arriving after closing will be turned away.