The Independent Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) has warned the public about fraudulent websites impersonating its online platforms, attempting to harvest voters’ personal information ahead of local government elections.
Addressing the media about preparations for the upcoming municipal polls, the commission said on Tuesday that it had identified fake online platforms designed to mislead the public into believing they were official voter registration sites.
“The Commission is aware of fake websites impersonating its domain. The sites are intended to lure unsuspecting members of the public to share their personal information,” the IEC said.
Warning of the spread of misinformation and disinformation
It added that the rise of artificial intelligence and digital platforms gave fraudsters new opportunities.
“The growth of artificial intelligence has had the unintended consequence of causing the increase in the use of digital platforms for fraudulent purposes and the spread of misinformation and disinformation,” the IEC said.
The IEC warned voters not to click on suspicious links or share personal details such as identity numbers, phone numbers or residential addresses on unverified websites.
Only use RegisterToVote.org.za or www.elections.org.za
The IEC has cautioned that it does not use certain domains, and voters should rely only on the commission’s official voter registration portal.
“The only official online voter registration portals are RegisterToVote.org.za or www.elections.org.za,” the commission said.
The warning is part of broader preparations for the upcoming local government elections. The IEC has announced a nationwide voter registration weekend on 20-21 June 2026, to allow eligible citizens to register closer to where they live.
The IEC said early voter registration was crucial because South Africans need to vote at the voting station where they are registered, particularly in local government elections where voters select ward councillors where they live.
‘Voters must register to vote where they live’
“As South Africa’s preparations for the general elections of municipal councils are advancing methodically… we must remind all South Africans eligible to vote to register where they ordinarily reside,” the IEC said.
Once the minister of cooperative governance and traditional affairs proclaims the election date, voters will have until midnight on that same day to register.
‘Since November, more than 260,000 new voter registrations’
The IEC said it was already seeing increased voter engagement through its online registration system. Between November 2025 and March 2026, more than 260,000 new voter registrations were recorded, with slightly more than half completed online.
The commission said the increase reflects growing confidence in its digital registration platform, warning that this also made voters potential targets for online scams.
In addition to fraudulent registration websites, the IEC also warned of fake recruitment notices circulating on social media claiming to advertise election-related jobs.
“We can confirm that this notice is fraudulent and does not originate from the Commission,” the IEC said.
IEC job opportunities only advertised on official website
It stressed that all official recruitment opportunities are only advertised on its official website and that it never requests payment during any recruitment process.
The IEC has urged voters to verify information through its official communication channels. It’s encouraging all eligible citizens to ensure that their details are correct on the voters’ roll ahead of the poll.
“If you are eligible to vote, take the first and most important step – register and ensure your details are up to date on the voters’ roll,” the commission said.
