# George Local Municipality elections

The George Local Municipality council consists of fifty-three members elected by mixed-member proportional representation. Twenty-seven councillors are elected by first-past-the-post voting in twenty-seven wards, while the remaining twenty-six are chosen from party lists so that the total number of party representatives is proportional to the number of votes received. In the election of 1 November 2021 no party obtained a majority of seats on the council. The DA did, however, win the largest amount of seats.

## Results

The following table shows the composition of the council after past elections.
| Event | ACDP | ANC | DA | EFF | FF+ | PBI | Other | Total |
| 2000 election | — | 14 | 17 | — | — | — | 4 | 35 |
| 2006 election | 1 | 17 | 18 | — | 1 | — | 2 | 39 |
| 2011 election | 1 | 19 | 25 | — | 0 | 1 | 3 | 49 |
| 2016 election | 1 | 16 | 29 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 53 |
| 2021 election | 1 | 10 | 26 | 2 | 4 | 5 | 7 | 55 |

## December 2000 election

The following table shows the results of the 2000 election.
| Party | Party | Ward | Ward | Ward | List | List | List | Total seats |
| Party | Party | Votes | % | Seats | Votes | % | Seats | Total seats |
| | Democratic Alliance | 13,781 | 47.10 | 8 | 14,182 | 48.72 | 9 | 17 |
| | African National Congress | 11,534 | 39.42 | 9 | 11,505 | 39.52 | 5 | 14 |
| | George Community Initiative | 2,381 | 8.14 | 1 | 2,137 | 7.34 | 2 | 3 |
| | Community Initiative | 1,090 | 3.73 | 0 | 971 | 3.34 | 1 | 1 |
| | United Democratic Movement | 197 | 0.67 | 0 | 316 | 1.09 | 0 | 0 |
| | Independent candidates | 278 | 0.95 | 0 | | | | 0 |
| Total | Total | 29,261 | 100.00 | 18 | 29,111 | 100.00 | 17 | 35 |
| Valid votes | Valid votes | 29,261 | 98.46 | | 29,111 | 97.91 | | |
| Invalid/blank votes | Invalid/blank votes | 457 | 1.54 | | 620 | 2.09 | | |
| Total votes | Total votes | 29,718 | 100.00 | | 29,731 | 100.00 | | |
| Registered voters/turnout | Registered voters/turnout | 55,293 | 53.75 | | 55,293 | 53.77 | | |

### October 2002 floor crossing

In terms of the Eighth Amendment of the Constitution and the judgment of the Constitutional Court in United Democratic Movement v President of the Republic of South Africa and Others, in the period from 8–22 October 2002 councillors had the opportunity to cross the floor to a different political party without losing their seats.
In the George council, the three councillors of the George Community Initiative crossed to the Democratic Alliance.
| Party | Seats before | Net change | Seats after |
| Democratic Alliance | 17 | 3 | 20 |
| African National Congress | 14 | 0 | 14 |
| Community Initiative | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| George Community Initiative | 3 | 3 | 0 |

### September 2004 floor crossing

Another floor-crossing period occurred on 1–15 September 2004, in which two councillors crossed from the Democratic Alliance to the African National Congress.
| Party | Seats before | Net change | Seats after |
| Democratic Alliance | 20 | 2 | 18 |
| African National Congress | 14 | 2 | 16 |
| Community Initiative | 1 | 0 | 1 |

## March 2006 election

The following table shows the results of the 2006 election.
| Party | Party | Ward | Ward | Ward | List | List | List | Total seats |
| Party | Party | Votes | % | Seats | Votes | % | Seats | Total seats |
| | Democratic Alliance | 17,017 | 45.61 | 13 | 17,266 | 46.26 | 5 | 18 |
| | African National Congress | 16,151 | 43.29 | 7 | 16,035 | 42.96 | 10 | 17 |
| | Independent Democrats | 1,611 | 4.32 | 0 | 1,612 | 4.32 | 2 | 2 |
| | African Christian Democratic Party | 605 | 1.62 | 0 | 572 | 1.53 | 1 | 1 |
| | Freedom Front Plus | 533 | 1.43 | 0 | 512 | 1.37 | 1 | 1 |
| | Independent Civic Organisation of South Africa | 423 | 1.13 | 0 | 398 | 1.07 | 0 | 0 |
| | George Independent Forum | 413 | 1.11 | 0 | 367 | 0.98 | 0 | 0 |
| | Community Initiative | 299 | 0.80 | 0 | 283 | 0.76 | 0 | 0 |
| | United Democratic Movement | 112 | 0.30 | 0 | 278 | 0.74 | 0 | 0 |
| | Independent candidates | 143 | 0.38 | 0 | | | | 0 |
| Total | Total | 37,307 | 100.00 | 20 | 37,323 | 100.00 | 19 | 39 |
| Valid votes | Valid votes | 37,307 | 98.84 | | 37,323 | 98.82 | | |
| Invalid/blank votes | Invalid/blank votes | 439 | 1.16 | | 447 | 1.18 | | |
| Total votes | Total votes | 37,746 | 100.00 | | 37,770 | 100.00 | | |
| Registered voters/turnout | Registered voters/turnout | 68,604 | 55.02 | | 68,604 | 55.06 | | |

### By-elections from March 2006 to May 2011

The following by-elections were held to fill vacant ward seats in the period between the elections in March 2006 and May 2011.
| Date | Ward | Party of the previous councillor | Party of the newly elected councillor |
| 15 November 2006 | 3 | Democratic Alliance | Democratic Alliance |
| 5 December 2007 | 3 | Democratic Alliance | Democratic Alliance |
| 21 May 2008 | 5 | Democratic Alliance | Democratic Alliance |
| 21 May 2008 | 8 | Democratic Alliance | Independent Democrats |
| 6 May 2009 | 1 | Democratic Alliance | Democratic Alliance |
| 24 June 2009 | 19 | Democratic Alliance | Independent |

## May 2011 election

The following table shows the results of the 2011 election.
| Party | Party | Ward | Ward | Ward | List | List | List | Total seats |
| Party | Party | Votes | % | Seats | Votes | % | Seats | Total seats |
| | Democratic Alliance | 28,155 | 50.55 | 16 | 28,491 | 51.01 | 9 | 25 |
| | African National Congress | 21,720 | 39.00 | 9 | 22,156 | 39.66 | 10 | 19 |
| | Plaaslike Besorgde Inwoners | 1,668 | 2.99 | 0 | 1,573 | 2.82 | 1 | 1 |
| | Independent Civic Organisation of South Africa | 927 | 1.66 | 0 | 851 | 1.52 | 1 | 1 |
| | African Christian Democratic Party | 786 | 1.41 | 0 | 696 | 1.25 | 1 | 1 |
| | George Independent Ratepayers Forum | 813 | 1.46 | 0 | 568 | 1.02 | 1 | 1 |
| | Congress of the People | 511 | 0.92 | 0 | 515 | 0.92 | 1 | 1 |
| | Freedom Front Plus | 436 | 0.78 | 0 | 370 | 0.66 | 0 | 0 |
| | National People's Party | 250 | 0.45 | 0 | 237 | 0.42 | 0 | 0 |
| | South Cape Community Forum | 134 | 0.24 | 0 | 113 | 0.20 | 0 | 0 |
| | Independent candidates | 209 | 0.38 | 0 | | | | 0 |
| | United Democratic Movement | 75 | 0.13 | 0 | 134 | 0.24 | 0 | 0 |
| | Ou Pacaltsdorp Inwoners Vereniging | | | | 155 | 0.28 | 0 | 0 |
| | African People's Convention | 14 | 0.03 | 0 | | | | 0 |
| Total | Total | 55,698 | 100.00 | 25 | 55,859 | 100.00 | 24 | 49 |
| Valid votes | Valid votes | 55,698 | 98.69 | | 55,859 | 99.02 | | |
| Invalid/blank votes | Invalid/blank votes | 737 | 1.31 | | 555 | 0.98 | | |
| Total votes | Total votes | 56,435 | 100.00 | | 56,414 | 100.00 | | |
| Registered voters/turnout | Registered voters/turnout | 90,601 | 62.29 | | 90,601 | 62.27 | | |

### By-elections from May 2011 to August 2016

The following by-elections were held to fill vacant ward seats in the period between the elections in May 2011 and August 2016.
| Date | Ward | Party of the previous councillor | Party of the newly elected councillor |
| 22 May 2013 | 6 | Democratic Alliance | Democratic Alliance |
| 3 July 2013 | 14 | Democratic Alliance | Democratic Alliance |
| 7 August 2013 | 1 | Democratic Alliance | Democratic Alliance |

## August 2016 election

The following table shows the results of the 2016 election.
| Party | Party | Ward | Ward | Ward | List | List | List | Total seats |
| Party | Party | Votes | % | Seats | Votes | % | Seats | Total seats |
| | Democratic Alliance | 33,098 | 55.13 | 18 | 33,321 | 55.74 | 11 | 29 |
| | African National Congress | 17,633 | 29.37 | 9 | 17,348 | 29.02 | 7 | 16 |
| | Plaaslike Besorgde Inwoners | 1,983 | 3.30 | 0 | 2,024 | 3.39 | 2 | 2 |
| | Economic Freedom Fighters | 1,514 | 2.52 | 0 | 1,485 | 2.48 | 1 | 1 |
| | Independent Civic Organisation of South Africa | 1,483 | 2.47 | 0 | 1,505 | 2.52 | 1 | 1 |
| | Freedom Front Plus | 1,029 | 1.71 | 0 | 955 | 1.60 | 1 | 1 |
| | African Christian Democratic Party | 877 | 1.46 | 0 | 782 | 1.31 | 1 | 1 |
| | African Independent Congress | 693 | 1.15 | 0 | 850 | 1.42 | 1 | 1 |
| | South Africa Civics | 724 | 1.21 | 0 | 755 | 1.26 | 1 | 1 |
| | Christian Democrats | 188 | 0.31 | 0 | 208 | 0.35 | 0 | 0 |
| | Independent candidates | 394 | 0.66 | 0 | | | | 0 |
| | Democratic New Civic Association | 156 | 0.26 | 0 | 211 | 0.35 | 0 | 0 |
| | South African Religious Civic Organisation | 134 | 0.22 | 0 | 138 | 0.23 | 0 | 0 |
| | George Independent Ratepayers Forum | 93 | 0.15 | 0 | 92 | 0.15 | 0 | 0 |
| | Christian United Movement S.A. | 30 | 0.05 | 0 | 57 | 0.10 | 0 | 0 |
| | Ubuntu Party | 3 | 0.00 | 0 | 45 | 0.08 | 0 | 0 |
| Total | Total | 60,032 | 100.00 | 27 | 59,776 | 100.00 | 26 | 53 |
| Valid votes | Valid votes | 60,032 | 98.65 | | 59,776 | 98.51 | | |
| Invalid/blank votes | Invalid/blank votes | 823 | 1.35 | | 904 | 1.49 | | |
| Total votes | Total votes | 60,855 | 100.00 | | 60,680 | 100.00 | | |
| Registered voters/turnout | Registered voters/turnout | 100,886 | 60.32 | | 100,886 | 60.15 | | |

### By-elections from August 2016 to November 2021

The following by-elections were held to fill vacant ward seats in the period between the elections in August 2016 and November 2021.
| Date | Ward | Party of the previous councillor | Party of the newly elected councillor |
| 1 Feb 2017 | 11 | Democratic Alliance | African National Congress |
| 1 Feb 2017 | 25 | African National Congress | African National Congress |
| 25 Apr 2018 | 18 | Democratic Alliance | Democratic Alliance |
| 21 Nov 2018 | 3 | Democratic Alliance | Democratic Alliance |
| 10 Apr 2019 | 18 | Democratic Alliance | Democratic Alliance |
| 17 Jul 2019 | 20 | Democratic Alliance | Democratic Alliance |
| 11 Nov 2020 | 8 | Democratic Alliance | Democratic Alliance |
| 11 Nov 2020 | 14 | Democratic Alliance | Democratic Alliance |
| 11 Nov 2020 | 17 | Democratic Alliance | Democratic Alliance |
| 11 Nov 2020 | 27 | Democratic Alliance | Good |

## November 2021 election

The following table shows the results of the 2021 election.
| Party | Party | Ward | Ward | Ward | List | List | List | Total seats |
| Party | Party | Votes | % | Seats | Votes | % | Seats | Total seats |
| | Democratic Alliance | 24,875 | 46.01 | 16 | 25,088 | 46.89 | 10 | 26 |
| | African National Congress | 9,709 | 17.96 | 9 | 9,439 | 17.64 | 1 | 10 |
| | Good | 5,665 | 10.48 | 3 | 5,566 | 10.40 | 3 | 6 |
| | Plaaslike Besorgde Inwoners | 5,385 | 9.96 | 0 | 5,275 | 9.86 | 5 | 5 |
| | Freedom Front Plus | 3,690 | 6.82 | 0 | 3,451 | 6.45 | 4 | 4 |
| | Economic Freedom Fighters | 1,605 | 2.97 | 0 | 1,553 | 2.90 | 2 | 2 |
| | Patriotic Alliance | 814 | 1.51 | 0 | 913 | 1.71 | 1 | 1 |
| | African Christian Democratic Party | 851 | 1.57 | 0 | 821 | 1.53 | 1 | 1 |
| | Cape Independence Party | 268 | 0.50 | 0 | 265 | 0.50 | 0 | 0 |
| | Independent Civic Organisation of South Africa | 266 | 0.49 | 0 | 266 | 0.50 | 0 | 0 |
| | African Independent Congress | 107 | 0.20 | 0 | 197 | 0.37 | 0 | 0 |
| | African Transformation Movement | 150 | 0.28 | 0 | 152 | 0.28 | 0 | 0 |
| | United Independent Movement | 120 | 0.22 | 0 | 116 | 0.22 | 0 | 0 |
| | Active United Front | 103 | 0.19 | 0 | 99 | 0.19 | 0 | 0 |
| | The Organic Humanity Movement | 102 | 0.19 | 0 | 97 | 0.18 | 0 | 0 |
| | Compatriots of South Africa | 91 | 0.17 | 0 | 79 | 0.15 | 0 | 0 |
| | African People's Convention | 84 | 0.16 | 0 | 53 | 0.10 | 0 | 0 |
| | Independent candidates | 137 | 0.25 | 0 | | | | 0 |
| | Africa Restoration Alliance | 45 | 0.08 | 0 | 46 | 0.09 | 0 | 0 |
| | Spectrum National Party | 3 | 0.01 | 0 | 25 | 0.05 | 0 | 0 |
| | African Freedom Revolution | | | | 7 | 0.01 | 0 | 0 |
| Total | Total | 54,070 | 100.00 | 28 | 53,508 | 100.00 | 27 | 55 |
| Valid votes | Valid votes | 54,070 | 98.92 | | 53,508 | 98.84 | | |
| Invalid/blank votes | Invalid/blank votes | 588 | 1.08 | | 627 | 1.16 | | |
| Total votes | Total votes | 54,658 | 100.00 | | 54,135 | 100.00 | | |
| Registered voters/turnout | Registered voters/turnout | 106,525 | 51.31 | | 106,525 | 50.82 | | |

### By-elections from November 2021

The following by-elections were held to fill vacant ward seats in the period since the election in November 2021.
| Date | Ward | Party of the previous councillor | Party of the newly elected councillor |
| 19 Jul 2023 | 16 | Good | Democratic Alliance |
| 19 Jul 2023 | 20 | Good | Patriotic Alliance |
| 19 Jul 2023 | 27 | Good | Democratic Alliance |
| 14 Feb 2024 | 8 | Democratic Alliance | Patriotic Alliance |
| 23 Oct 2024 | 20 | Patriotic Alliance | Patriotic Alliance |
The three Good ward councillors (the party's only ward councillors in the country) resigned, with two joining the Democratic Alliance (DA) and one of the three, Richard Hector, a two-term ward councillor, attempting to reverse his decision. The Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) declared that he had resigned, and so three by-elections needed to be held. The by-elections were marred by allegations of voter registration fraud, with Good claiming that, in one instance, 188 people were registered at the same address in spite of only two people living there. The IEC dismissed the claims and the by-elections went ahead. Good lost all three seats, with two going to the DA, and one to the Patriotic Alliance (PA).
As a result, the DA, which governed in coalition with Freedom Front Plus (FF+), gained a majority of 28 seats (up from 26) of the 55 available seats, Good fell to 3 from 6, and the PA increased from 1 to 2.
The DA lost its majority after the by-election on 14 February 2024 when it lost ward 8 to the PA, and will have to govern with the support of the FF+ once more.
The council composition as of 14 February 2024 is shown below.
| Party | Party | Ward | Ward | Ward | List | List | List | Total seats |
| Party | Party | Votes | % | Seats | Votes | % | Seats | Total seats |
| | Democratic Alliance | | | 17 | | | 10 | 27 |
| | African National Congress | | | 9 | | | 1 | 10 |
| | Plaaslike Besorgde Inwoners | | | 0 | | | 5 | 5 |
| | Freedom Front Plus | | | 0 | | | 4 | 4 |
| | Good | | | 0 | | | 3 | 3 |
| | Patriotic Alliance | | | 2 | | | 1 | 3 |
| | Economic Freedom Fighters | | | 0 | | | 2 | 2 |
| | African Christian Democratic Party | | | 0 | | | 1 | 1 |
| Total | Total | | | 28 | | | 27 | 55 |