Lotus FM | IEC LGE 2026 Voter Education

Discover how to register or update your details online completely data-free, understand the strict legal requirements of ward-based voting, and find out how to apply for special votes (including home visits for the elderly or differently-abled). Whether you're a first-time voter, a student living away from home, or a migrant worker, this episode is packed with essential, easy-to-follow steps to ensure you are registered, verified, and ready to vote!

 Listeners will get a clear look at the electoral timeline, starting from the official proclamation of the election date, and learn how political parties and independent candidates can navigate the online candidate nomination system to streamline their submissions. The episode explains the critical differences between metro, local, and district municipalities, details the financial deposit requirements for contesting, and outlines the constitutionally mandated disqualification criteria for candidates

Discover the essential rules that ensure elections remain free, fair, and credible. This podcast episode breaks down the Electoral Code of Conduct, highlighting the key responsibilities and prohibited behaviors for political candidates, party supporters, and everyday voters. Listeners will learn about what is permitted inside and outside polling stations, the strict protections surrounding the secrecy of the ballot, and how to report election violations, including the spreading of deliberate misinformation. Tune in to understand the serious penalties for breaches and find out how you can make an informed choice to make your voice heard

Whether you are a first-time voter, have recently moved, or were affected by municipal ward boundary changes, this episode will help you verify your status, locate your correct voting station, and transition from the sidelines to the ballot box. Don't miss the deadline—listen in and make sure your voice is heard

If you're not on the voters' roll, you can't vote. This episode, produced by the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) in partnership with SABC Education, covers what registration actually requires: who's eligible, which identification the Department of Home Affairs accepts, the green barcoded book, the smart ID card, or a valid temporary identity certificate, and how to get registered, in person or online. Registration is the first gate. Everything else about election day depends on clearing it. Changed address recently? Update your registration, or you could end up at the wrong polling station on election day. Boundaries shift too, and an old registration can put you in the wrong voting district without you knowing it. We also cover how to check your registration status by SMS or on the official website, plus what's coming with the next round of registration weekends. Catch this episode, and the rest of the series, on SABC+ or the official website.

Who switches the lights back on when there's a fault? Who's meant to fix the road outside your house? That's your municipality's job, and local government elections decide who runs it. This episode is about how local and municipal elections actually work, and why the result shows up in your life faster than any national vote does. Your vote buys you a say in who answers for water, electricity, and infrastructure in your own area. The ballot papers look different too, depending on whether you live in a local municipality or a metro. There are two routes onto your council: ward councillors and proportional representation councillors, with independents running in the ward system too. We also cover the legal bar a citizen has to clear to stand for their own community, and how the IEC keeps the count transparent. A joint production from SABC Education and the Electoral Commission (IEC), made so you walk into the voting station knowing what you're choosing and why. Wake up and go out to vote!

If you're not on the voters' roll, you can't vote. This episode, produced by the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) in partnership with SABC Education, covers what registration actually requires: who's eligible, which identification the Department of Home Affairs accepts, the green barcoded book, the smart ID card, or a valid temporary identity certificate, and how to get registered, in person or online. Registration is the first gate. Everything else about election day depends on clearing it. Changed address recently? Update your registration, or you could end up at the wrong polling station on election day. Boundaries shift too, and an old registration can put you in the wrong voting district without you knowing it. We also cover how to check your registration status by SMS or on the official website, plus what's coming with the next round of registration weekends. Catch this episode, and the rest of the series, on SABC+ or the official website.