Nearly 600,000 votes were spoilt in 2021. How to make sure yours counts

In the last local government elections in 2021, 597,192 ballots were thrown out as spoilt, or 1.91% of the 31.2 million votes cast (IEC results). With the next municipal vote on Wednesday, 4 November 2026, the rules on what gets a ballot rejected are short and worth knowing before you go into the booth.

The safest way to vote: make one clear X or tick inside the box next to your choice, keep it off the box's lines, and write nothing else on the paper (IEC voter education).

What makes a ballot spoilt?

The Municipal Electoral Act tells the counting officer to reject a ballot paper that (Municipal Electoral Act, section 61):

• shows who the voter is, for example a name, ID number or signature
• has a vote for more than one party, or more than one ward candidate
• is left blank
• is marked so that it isn't reasonably possible to tell who you voted for
• has no official IEC stamp on the back
• isn't an official ballot paper

That's the full list. Doodles, arrows and comments aren't banned as such, but they can make your choice unclear or identify you, which is enough for a rejection.

Does it have to be an X?

No. The IEC says a cross is best and a tick is also fine, and any mark works as long as it clearly shows who you are voting for (IEC voter education). Make only one mark per ballot paper (IEC).

Colouring in a box, circling a party or crossing out the parties you don't want are all risky, because the counting officer has to be able to see your single choice at a glance.

How many ballot papers will I get?

It depends on where you live (IEC observer handbook 2026):

• Metros (Johannesburg, Cape Town, eThekwini, Tshwane, Ekurhuleni, Nelson Mandela Bay, Buffalo City and Mangaung): two ballots. A grey ward ballot to elect your ward councillor and a yellow PR ballot to vote for a party on the metro council.
• Everywhere else: three ballots. A grey ward ballot, a green PR ballot for your local council and a yellow ballot for the district council.

Each ballot is counted on its own, so a mistake on one doesn't cancel the others. In 2021 the district council ballot had the highest spoilt rate at 2.35%, compared with 1.92% for PR ballots and 1.64% for ward ballots (IEC results).

What if I make a mistake?

Don't put it in the box. Tell the presiding officer before you cast it and you'll get a new ballot paper, while the spoilt one is marked "cancelled". Once a ballot is in the box, it can't be taken out (IEC).

What else should I check?

• The stamp. The voting officer stamps the back of each ballot paper when it's handed to you. A paper without the stamp is rejected at the count, so check before you leave the table (IEC, Municipal Electoral Act).
• No photos. You're not allowed to photograph your marked ballot (IEC).
• Fold it. Fold each paper in half so your mark can't be seen, with the stamp showing, and drop it in the ballot box (IEC, IEC observer handbook).

Who decides if a ballot is spoilt?

The counting officer at your voting station. Party agents and ward candidates can dispute that call, and a disputed ballot is marked "disputed" and filed separately (Municipal Electoral Act, section 61).

Voting stations are open from 07:00 to 21:00 on 4 November (IEC timetable). You can check where you're registered on the IEC website.