Majority of voters believe elections were free and fair: HSRC

A report by the Human Sciences Research Council (HSRC) on voter perception and opinion on election day has revealed that the majority of voters thought that the elections were free and fair.

The report was presented at the Results Operations Centre (ROC) in Midrand, north of Johannesburg, where the 2026 local government election results are being tallied and released by the electoral commission.

LGE 2026 | The HSRC has released the initial findings of its Election Satisfaction Survey, with more detailed results expected to be shared in the coming months. Watch SABC News for more on the 4 November Local Government Elections. https://t.co/3cHOINvtCT

— SABC News (@SABCNews) November 6, 2026

The election’s final results are expected to be announced on Sunday.

Dr Benjamin Roberts, the research director at the HSRC, presented the report.

“The ESS- 2026- assessed the voters’ views on the election process, including its integrity, and evaluated the operational efficiency of the Electoral Commission. Electoral integrity remains strong, with 90 % regarding election procedures as free, and 91 %  as fair. Election administration is evaluated as performing well, with 95 % expressing satisfaction with IEC services and 91 % queuing said no longer than 30 minutes.”

VIDEO |HSRC media briefing:06 November 2026