Electoral Laws Amendment Bill: IEC briefing

Video The Portfolio Committee on Home Affairs received a briefing from the Independent Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) on the Electoral Laws Amendment Bill [B24–2026]. The Bill proposed amendments to political party registration, eligibility to contest elections, Electoral Court capacity and the administration of the voters' roll. The proposals included automatic deregistration of unrepresented parties that failed to renew their registration. Parties would need to finalise registration by the proclamation date to nominate candidates. The number of Electoral Court judges would increase from three to six, allowing simultaneous sittings. Ordinary objections to the voters’ roll would be confined to the provisional roll, with limited election-day exceptions. Members cautioned against rushing the Bill before the 4 November local government elections. They stressed the importance of public participation and questioned its relationship with broader electoral reform. They also questioned the constitutionality of automatic deregistration, the proposed registration cut-off and the different treatment of represented and unrepresented parties. Members sought clarity on residential information requirements for voters in rural areas and informal settlements. They asked about correcting errors after certification, communicating objection deadlines and verifying voters whose addresses had been removed. They also questioned Electoral Court appointment procedures, possible conflicts of interest and the exclusion of the Judicial Service Commission (JSC). Other concerns included political funding accountability and cybersecurity. The IEC explained that residential descriptions and mapping technology could establish the correct voting district without requiring conventional addresses. It said the inspection period had not been removed. Exceptional election-day objections would be determined by the Commission, with disputed ballots kept separately pending verification. Parties would remain subject to political funding requirements until their registration lapsed. The Department of Home Affairs (DHA) undertook to establish why the JSC’s role in recommending non-judicial members had been removed. The IEC said the Electoral Court’s quorum remained odd-numbered and that non-judge members already served on the Court. It also clarified that the 2024 results centre leaderboard difficulties had not resulted from a cyberattack. The Chairperson said there was insufficient time to process the Bill before the elections. It would be published for public comment. The Committee would then consider submissions and invite the IEC to respond. No decision had been taken on the proposed amendments. The Committee would explore bringing forward the election-readiness briefing scheduled for 23 October.