The Constitutional Court has ruled in favour of the African National Congress in its dispute with the Electoral Commission of South Africa over candidate lists for the 2026 Local Government Elections.
SABC News reports that the ruling means the ANC candidates affected by the dispute must now be included on ballot papers ahead of the 4 November elections.
The case concerned candidate lists in six municipalities that the IEC had rejected after the ANC failed to complete the final submission step on its online system.
Dispute Focused on Final Submission
During Constitutional Court proceedings on 12 October, ANC advocate Daniel Berger argued that the party had complied with the legal requirements before the deadline.
According to SABC News, Berger said candidate details, supporting documents and required deposits had been uploaded before 17:00.
He argued that the IEC’s “Submit as Final” button was part of the online system and was not itself a requirement contained in electoral legislation or regulations.
The IEC disputed that position and maintained that parties had to complete the final submission step for nominations to be valid.
ANC Initially Lost Electoral Court Case
The dispute had previously gone before the Electoral Court.
SABC News reported on 16 September that the Electoral Court dismissed the ANC’s challenge to the IEC’s decision.
The ANC then pursued the matter further, arguing that its candidate information had been captured on the system before the deadline and should be treated as validly submitted.
The Constitutional Court’s official case records list the matter as ANC v Electoral Commission and Another, with the hearing held on 12 October 2026.
Candidates Return to Ballot
The Constitutional Court has now overturned the position that kept the affected candidates off the ballot.
The decision comes just weeks before South Africans vote in the 4 November local government elections.
Before judgment was delivered, IEC chief electoral officer Sy Mamabolo said the Commission would abide by the outcome of the legal process and adjust its election preparations where necessary.
The affected ANC candidates will now be included in the election process following the Constitutional Court ruling.