An Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) presiding officer has died after collapsing at a voting station in the North West, while two other election officials were struck by vehicles in separate incidents in KwaZulu-Natal as special voting for the 2026 Local Government Elections got under way on Monday.

One of the injured officials, a female deputy presiding officer, was hit by a car while travelling to her voting station in the uKhahlamba district and rushed to hospital.

The incidents cast a shadow over the first day of special voting, despite the IEC reporting that nearly 99% of voting stations had opened on time at 08:00.

The commission confirmed that a presiding officer in the North West had collapsed at her post and died.

The IEC did not provide further details about the circumstances surrounding her death.

In KwaZulu-Natal, a deputy presiding officer was struck by a vehicle while travelling to her voting station in the uKhahlamba district. She was rushed to hospital.

A separate incident was reported in Birchville, where another presiding officer was hit by a car while making her way to her voting station. The IEC wished her a speedy recovery.

The commission said it was providing the necessary support to the affected officials and their families.

The incidents come as approximately 2.6 million voters are expected to cast special ballots across the country on Monday and Tuesday ahead of the main voting day on Wednesday, 4 November.

The IEC said the first ballots had been cast and that special voting had commenced across the country at 08:00.

However, the City of Cape Town municipality experienced delays, with voting stations in only 10 of its 116 wards having opened for special votes by 10:30.

The commission said it was making every effort to ensure that the remaining voting stations opened.

In most areas, voters were assisted smoothly, with the IEC attributing the improved efficiency to measures introduced to streamline the voting process.

These include handheld barcode scanners integrated with digital Voter Management Devices (VMDs), which are being used to speed up voter verification, improve accuracy and streamline the process.

The commission said it had also invested in updating, testing and re-testing the performance of the VMDs to avoid challenges experienced during previous elections.

Another measure is the introduction of sequence numbers, which allow election officials to locate voters on the voters’ roll more quickly.

Despite the incidents and delays, the IEC said it was establishing a strong overall performance across the country and expected further improvement on the second day of special voting on Tuesday.

The commission urged voters who had successfully applied for special votes to confirm their voting arrangements before leaving home.

It reminded voters that special ballots at voting stations may only be cast at the voting station where they are registered. Voters must also have successfully applied for special voting.

A valid South African identity document is required before a voter can cast a ballot. Accepted documents include a smart ID card, green barcoded ID book or a temporary identity certificate issued by the Department of Home Affairs.

Voters can verify their details through the IEC’s WhatsApp service on 0600 88 0000, its contact centre on 0800 11 8000 or by sending an SMS to 32810, at a cost of R1 per message.

The commission’s zero-rated website, www.elections.org.za, also provides a Live Chat facility.

The IEC contact centre operates from 07:00 to 19:00 on Monday and Tuesday, and from 07:00 to 21:00 on Wednesday.

Voting stations will remain open until 17:00 on Monday and Tuesday for approved special voters. However, a presiding officer may close a station once all approved special voters allocated to it have been assisted.

The station will reopen for ordinary voting on Wednesday.

The IEC thanked voters, election officials and stakeholders for their contribution to the special voting process and urged continued support for a peaceful, credible and inclusive election.

Special voting continues on Tuesday, with the main Election Day scheduled for Wednesday, 4 November.