# President Cyril Ramaphosa has declared 4 November 2026, the day of the local government elections, a public holiday. A total of 546 political parties will contest the elections, while more than 140-thousand candidates have been nominated to contest ten-thousand-526 council seats across the country. Ramaphosa has called on all registered voters to use the opportunity of the public holiday to exercise their democratic right and civic duty by voting in this election. He has also urged employers to make provision for employees to exercise their Constitutional right to vote.
President Ramaphosa declares local government election day a public holiday