Today the Independent Electoral Commission  (IEC) opened voting for the By- Elections in 95 wards countrywide. The voting stations were opened at 7am and IEC says Voting will continue until 9pm tonight, except in Cape's Nyandeni, Mbashe & Mhlontlo in those areas voting will close at 7pm. A total of 444 candidates including 19 independent candidates - were certified as contestants for the by-elections on Tuesday.  The by-elections are held under strict new COVID-19 protocols aimed at ensuring the safety of voters, election staff, party agents, observers and other stakeholders. These include implementing strict social distancing practices outside and inside voting stations along with the use of hand sanitisers as voters enter and exit the voting station. 

More than 600-thousand voters are registered to vote. The IEC says today's by-elections will act as a litmus test for holding future elections. The by-elections could not be held for months due to the national coronavirus lockdown. 

People have gone out in numbers to cast their votes however in some municipalities the process took another turn and police had to intervene.  Residents from Naledi, went on a rampage in the morning and locked the gates of a primary school pinned as a voting station as an attempt to demonstrate  their frustration over poor service delivery. The residents said that electricity has been off for months after a transformer exploded & wasn’t repaired. Gauteng premier David Makhura addressed the residents to try  salvage the situation, EFF’S Mbuyiseni Ndlozi also addressed the crowd. He urged community members to let the voting take place so their issues can be fixed.

Voting continues across 95 wards and members from different parties are on the ground campaigning for the respective parties.

 
Link to the full list of candidates contesting these by-elections.