Youth vote at risk as 70% of eligible 18-year-olds remain unregistered (opens original article in a new tab)

Over 70% of South African 18-19 year olds are still unregistered to vote as the Electoral Commission prepares for a registration weekend with 23,706 stations nationwide. The IEC is running campaigns in tertiary institutions and media to boost youth registration ahead of 2026 local elections.

• Over 70% of South African 18-19 year olds remain unregistered to vote
• IEC prepares 23,706 voting stations for registration weekend
• IEC campaigns in tertiary institutions reached 269,552 students with 158,446 registrations