The Electoral Commission has extended the deadline for public comments on its proposed Code to Counter Disinformation to 29 July 2026. The Commission says the extension is intended to encourage broader public participation because of the code's significant impact on the electoral process. The draft code proposes tougher measures to curb election misinformation ahead of the 2026 Local Government Elections. Political parties and candidates who deliberately spread false information, publish misleading election content, or use AI-generated deepfakes during election campaigns could face penalties under the proposed new rules. IEC Chief Electoral Officer is Sy Mamabolo.