There were a number of irregularities in a several provinces on Wednesday, IEC chairperson Brigalia Bam told reporters in Pretoria.

In Nkandla, KwaZulu-Natal, an area manager lost all her voting material, including ballot papers. In the same area some 50 marked ballot papers were found, she told a briefing on the progress of the country's fourth democratic election.

In Ulundi 100 marked ballot papers were found and the presiding officer, who allegedly confessed to police, was arrested and expected to appear in court on Thursday.

Chief electoral officer Pansy Tlakula said these incidents should not be exaggerated as it was merely a "drop in the ocean", since 58-million ballots had been printed.

"We should not exaggerate this. We are talking about a drop in the ocean."

Tlakula added that this had never happened in any previous elections.

In the North West ballot boxes and ink, to mark a voter's finger, went missing. Two presiding officers were injured in a car accident.

In Brits a Democratic Alliance official was handed a marked ballot paper. The presiding officer at the voting station was fired, Bam said.

It appeared that the marked ballot paper given to a voter had been marked previously by another voter. The presiding officer should have noticed this, hence the dismissal.

"It was just one ballot paper. It was not rampant, it was isolated," said Tlakula.

In Limpopo a presiding officer had been found acting in a "partisan manner".

There had been problems transporting voting material to mountainous areas of the province.

A presiding officer was also shot in the Free State during a robbery, said Tlakula, adding it was not a politically-motivated shooting.

"It was not election related."

The presiding officer had been opening the voting station when a man approached and demanded money.

The officer threw the keys to the station away and tried to flee.

The robber fired five shots at the man, one of which hit the man in the leg. He was recovering in hospital, she said.

Voting in the Eastern, Western and Northern Cape and Mpumalanga had proceeded smoothly.

In Gauteng Bam did not have much to report, except for long queues.