- The IEC revealed that 66% of ballots for the November 4 local government elections had already been printed when the dispute arose
- The Electoral Commission said money spent printing ballots for affected municipalities cannot be recovered, regardless of the court outcome
- The Constitutional Court heard oral arguments on 12 October and reserved judgment on whether 181 ANC candidates should be reinstated
Source: Getty Images
GAUTENG — The Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) faces the prospect of high additional costs if the Constitutional Court rules in favour of the ANC over the reinstatement of 181 candidate nominees excluded from November's Local Government Elections.
According to IOL, IEC Deputy Chief Electoral Officer Masego Sheburi addressed a media briefing on the matter on 14 October 2026, confirming that two-thirds of all voting ballots had already been produced at the time of the dispute. Working within a fixed 21-day printing window, the commission had no mechanism to pause production pending the outcome of the legal proceedings.
What the court case is about
The dispute traces back to the Electoral Court's dismissal of the ANC's appeal after the party missed the official deadline for submitting candidate lists online across six municipalities. The ANC subsequently escalated the matter to the Constitutional Court, seeking the reinstatement of the 181 affected nominees for the 4 November elections.
Should the apex court grant the relief sought, the IEC would be required to produce new ballot papers for the relevant municipalities to reflect the reinstated candidates. Sheburi was clear that any money already spent on printing those ballots would constitute an unrecoverable sunk cost, with fresh expenditure needed on top.
Contingency plans in place
Despite the uncertainty, Sheburi said the commission has contingency plans ready to implement should the court's decision require new ballots to be produced. He also noted that the ANC is not the only party facing candidate submission problems, warning that the final financial implications for the commission could grow beyond what the current proceedings alone represent, depending on how similar matters involving other political parties are resolved.
The Constitutional Court heard oral arguments in the case on 12 October and has reserved its judgment. The timing of the ruling remains critical, given how little of the printing timeline remains before election day.
View a post about the briefing here:
KZN reports zero no-go areas for KZN
In a related article, Briefly News reported on KwaZulu-Natal’s preparations for the November 4 local government elections, including the IEC’s conflict-prevention measures and the scale of the contest.
The province has reported no political no-go areas, a notable shift in a region historically associated with electoral violence. Find out how election officials and security teams are working to keep campaigning peaceful.
Source: Briefly News
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