Shorter queues, high satisfaction — but voter trust in IEC slips
South African voters were overwhelmingly satisfied with the conduct of the 2026 local government elections (LGE) but trust in the Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) has continued to decline, according to a preliminary survey by the Human Sciences Research Council (HSRC). The Election Satisfaction Survey 2026, conducted among 13 198 people who voted on 4 November, found that 81% trusted or strongly trusted the IEC. This was down from 85% in the 2024 national and provincial elections, 89% in the 2021 local government elections and 91% in 2016.
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