Electoral Laws Amendment Bill: Regulation of Political Opinion Polling

Posted 24 October 2025 Written by Acts Online
Category Electoral Law

Brought to you by SA Legal Academy: A new private member’s Bill has been introduced to Parliament to regulate the methodology and timing of political opinion polling during election cycles.

In terms of the Electoral Laws Amendment Bill, No. 33 of 2025, tabled in Parliament on 1 December 2025, the legislature seeks to address the current regulatory vacuum regarding the conduct, publication, and dissemination of political opinion polling. The Bill follows an explanatory summary that highlighted the absence of specific legal provisions governing these activities in the Electoral Act, No. 73 of 1998.

The proposed amendments aim to ensure transparency and prevent the potential manipulation of the electoral process through unregulated data dissemination. Key proposals within the Bill include:

  • Prohibiting the publication of exit polls before the official close of voting on election day.
  • Mandating the disclosure of specific technical details for any published poll, including methodology, sample size, and funding sources.
  • Regulating the timeframe within which new polling data may be disseminated to the public in the lead-up to an election.

The tabling of the Bill follows a public consultation period where input was sought by 23 November 2025. The legislation will now undergo the standard parliamentary process, including review by the relevant portfolio committee.

Click here to download the Electoral Laws Amendment Bill, No. 33 of 2025.

Click here to view the Parliamentary Papers (ATC).

What this means for you, your business, or your clients

  • For yourself: Professional advisors to political entities must monitor the Bill’s progress to ensure that any advice regarding campaign communications remains compliant with proposed statutory restrictions on data release.
  • For your business: Media houses, research firms, and polling agencies must prepare to implement mandatory disclosure frameworks for polling methodology and funding to meet new transparency requirements.
  • For your clients: Political parties and advocacy groups must adjust their media and research strategies to account for the proposed prohibitions on publishing polling data in the immediate period preceding election days.

Originally published at https://legalacademy.co.za/news/read/electoral-law-actionsa-to-table-amendment-bill-tackling-opinion-polling

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