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South African voters report smoother local election but declining IEC trust
South African voters report smoother local election but declining IEC trust
A national survey found high satisfaction with South Africa’s 2026 local government election, even as confidence in the Electoral Commission continued a decade-long decline.
The Human Sciences Research Council interviewed 13,198 people who voted on November 4 at or near 300 polling stations. Eighty-one per cent said they trusted or strongly trusted the IEC, down from 85% in the 2024 national election, 89% in the 2021 local election and 91% in 2016.
Ninety per cent regarded procedures as free and 91% as fair. Ninety-five per cent were satisfied that their ballot remained secret, while 83% were very or completely confident that votes would be counted accurately.
Respondents who trusted the commission cited professional staff, orderly voting, impartiality and confidence in counting. The HSRC said the decline should be viewed in the broader context of falling trust in South African institutions.
D. Wassiljew--BTZ
