# Swartland Local Municipality elections

The Swartland Local Municipality consists of twenty-three members elected by mixed-member proportional representation. Twelve councillors are elected by first-past-the-post voting in twelve wards, while the remaining eleven 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 the Democratic Alliance (DA) obtained a majority of fourteen seats on the council.

## Results

The following table shows the composition of the council after past elections.
| Event | ACDP | ANC | DA | EFF | Other | Total |
| 2000 election | 1 | 6 | 11 | — | 1 | 19 |
| 2002 floor crossing | 1 | 7 | 11 | — | 1 | 19 |
| 2006 election | 1 | 6 | 12 | — | 1 | 20 |
| 2011 election | 0 | 6 | 15 | — | 2 | 23 |
| 2016 election | — | 6 | 16 | 1 | 0 | 23 |
| 2021 election | 0 | 5 | 14 | 1 | 3 | 23 |

## 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 | 9,896 | 56.33 | 8 | 10,194 | 58.09 | 3 | 11 |
| | African National Congress | 5,806 | 33.05 | 2 | 5,919 | 33.73 | 4 | 6 |
| | Verenigde Gemeenskap Organisasie | 760 | 4.33 | 0 | 648 | 3.69 | 1 | 1 |
| | African Christian Democratic Party | 626 | 3.56 | 0 | 521 | 2.97 | 1 | 1 |
| | Abbotsdale Community Development Forum | 194 | 1.10 | 0 | 268 | 1.53 | 0 | 0 |
| | Independent candidates | 214 | 1.22 | 0 | | | | 0 |
| | United Democratic Movement | 71 | 0.40 | 0 | | | | 0 |
| Total | Total | 17,567 | 100.00 | 10 | 17,550 | 100.00 | 9 | 19 |
| Valid votes | Valid votes | 17,567 | 98.54 | | 17,550 | 98.45 | | |
| Invalid/blank votes | Invalid/blank votes | 260 | 1.46 | | 276 | 1.55 | | |
| Total votes | Total votes | 17,827 | 100.00 | | 17,826 | 100.00 | | |
| Registered voters/turnout | Registered voters/turnout | 28,270 | 63.06 | | 28,270 | 63.06 | | |

### 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 Drakenstein council, the single councillor of the Verenigde Gemeenskap Organisasie crossed to the African National Congress.
| Party | Seats before | Net change | Seats after |
| Democratic Alliance | 11 | 0 | 11 |
| African National Congress | 6 | 1 | 7 |
| African Christian Democratic Party | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Verenigde Gemeenskap Organisasie | 1 | 1 | 0 |

### By-elections from October 2002 to August 2004

The following by-elections were held to fill vacant ward seats in the period between the floor crossing periods in October 2002 and September 2004.
| Date | Ward | Party of the previous councillor | Party of the previous councillor | Party of the newly elected councillor | Party of the newly elected councillor |
| 17 September 2003 | 10 | | Democratic Alliance | | Democratic Alliance |

## 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 | 10,711 | 58.29 | 9 | 10,666 | 58.16 | 3 | 12 |
| | African National Congress | 5,597 | 30.46 | 1 | 5,553 | 30.28 | 5 | 6 |
| | Independent Democrats | 1,144 | 6.23 | 0 | 1,145 | 6.24 | 1 | 1 |
| | African Christian Democratic Party | 291 | 1.58 | 0 | 448 | 2.44 | 1 | 1 |
| | Freedom Front Plus | 323 | 1.76 | 0 | 268 | 1.46 | 0 | 0 |
| | Independent candidates | 252 | 1.37 | 0 | | | | 0 |
| | United Democratic Movement | 46 | 0.25 | 0 | 183 | 1.00 | 0 | 0 |
| | Pan Africanist Congress of Azania | 10 | 0.05 | 0 | 77 | 0.42 | 0 | 0 |
| Total | Total | 18,374 | 100.00 | 10 | 18,340 | 100.00 | 10 | 20 |
| Valid votes | Valid votes | 18,374 | 98.44 | | 18,340 | 98.25 | | |
| Invalid/blank votes | Invalid/blank votes | 291 | 1.56 | | 326 | 1.75 | | |
| Total votes | Total votes | 18,665 | 100.00 | | 18,666 | 100.00 | | |
| Registered voters/turnout | Registered voters/turnout | 34,954 | 53.40 | | 34,954 | 53.40 | | |

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

The following by-elections were held to fill vacant ward seats in the period between period between the elections in March 2006 and May 2011.
| Date | Ward | Party of the previous councillor | Party of the previous councillor | Party of the newly elected councillor | Party of the newly elected councillor |
| 14 October 2009 | 2 | | Democratic Alliance | | Democratic Alliance |
| 18 November 2009 | 3 | | Democratic Alliance | | Democratic Alliance |

## 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 | 16,146 | 64.17 | 11 | 16,212 | 64.31 | 4 | 15 |
| | African National Congress | 6,978 | 27.73 | 1 | 7,078 | 28.08 | 5 | 6 |
| | Congress of the People | 1,055 | 4.19 | 0 | 1,062 | 4.21 | 1 | 1 |
| | The Peoples Independent Civic Organisation | 494 | 1.96 | 0 | 461 | 1.83 | 1 | 1 |
| | African Christian Democratic Party | 333 | 1.32 | 0 | 261 | 1.04 | 0 | 0 |
| | Freedom Front Plus | 156 | 0.62 | 0 | 137 | 0.54 | 0 | 0 |
| Total | Total | 25,162 | 100.00 | 12 | 25,211 | 100.00 | 11 | 23 |
| Valid votes | Valid votes | 25,162 | 98.93 | | 25,211 | 99.11 | | |
| Invalid/blank votes | Invalid/blank votes | 272 | 1.07 | | 227 | 0.89 | | |
| Total votes | Total votes | 25,434 | 100.00 | | 25,438 | 100.00 | | |
| Registered voters/turnout | Registered voters/turnout | 42,249 | 60.20 | | 42,249 | 60.21 | | |

### 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 previous councillor | Party of the newly elected councillor | Party of the newly elected councillor |
| 1 August 2012 | 6 | | Democratic Alliance | | Democratic Alliance |
| 13 August 2014 | 10 | | 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 | 19,969 | 69.45 | 11 | 20,412 | 71.35 | 5 | 16 |
| | African National Congress | 6,724 | 23.38 | 1 | 6,964 | 24.34 | 5 | 6 |
| | Economic Freedom Fighters | 765 | 2.66 | 0 | 789 | 2.76 | 1 | 1 |
| | Cape Party | 374 | 1.30 | 0 | 302 | 1.06 | 0 | 0 |
| | Independent candidates | 554 | 1.93 | 0 | | | | 0 |
| | Nationalist Coloured Party of South Africa | 294 | 1.02 | 0 | | | | 0 |
| | South African Progressive Civic Organisation | 75 | 0.26 | 0 | 140 | 0.49 | 0 | 0 |
| Total | Total | 28,755 | 100.00 | 12 | 28,607 | 100.00 | 11 | 23 |
| Valid votes | Valid votes | 28,755 | 99.02 | | 28,607 | 98.54 | | |
| Invalid/blank votes | Invalid/blank votes | 284 | 0.98 | | 424 | 1.46 | | |
| Total votes | Total votes | 29,039 | 100.00 | | 29,031 | 100.00 | | |
| Registered voters/turnout | Registered voters/turnout | 49,185 | 59.04 | | 49,185 | 59.02 | | |
The local council sends four representatives to the council of the West Coast District Municipality: three from the Democratic Alliance and one from the African National Congress.

## 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 | 13,649 | 58.27 | 11 | 14,260 | 61.26 | 3 | 14 |
| | African National Congress | 4,426 | 18.89 | 1 | 4,388 | 18.85 | 4 | 5 |
| | Freedom Front Plus | 1,814 | 7.74 | 0 | 1,872 | 8.04 | 2 | 2 |
| | Good | 1,125 | 4.80 | 0 | 1,255 | 5.39 | 1 | 1 |
| | Independent candidates | 1,052 | 4.49 | 0 | | | | 0 |
| | Economic Freedom Fighters | 475 | 2.03 | 0 | 495 | 2.13 | 1 | 1 |
| | African Christian Democratic Party | 281 | 1.20 | 0 | 285 | 1.22 | 0 | 0 |
| | Patriotic Alliance | 173 | 0.74 | 0 | 233 | 1.00 | 0 | 0 |
| | Cape Independence Party | 173 | 0.74 | 0 | 229 | 0.98 | 0 | 0 |
| | Africa Restoration Alliance | 86 | 0.37 | 0 | 87 | 0.37 | 0 | 0 |
| | Congress of the People | 56 | 0.24 | 0 | 77 | 0.33 | 0 | 0 |
| | Al Jama-ah | 30 | 0.13 | 0 | 48 | 0.21 | 0 | 0 |
| | National Freedom Party | 22 | 0.09 | 0 | 50 | 0.21 | 0 | 0 |
| | Cape Coloured Congress | 53 | 0.23 | 0 | | | | 0 |
| | Khoi-San Kingdom of RSA | 10 | 0.04 | 0 | | | | 0 |
| Total | Total | 23,425 | 100.00 | 12 | 23,279 | 100.00 | 11 | 23 |
| Valid votes | Valid votes | 23,425 | 98.89 | | 23,279 | 98.67 | | |
| Invalid/blank votes | Invalid/blank votes | 262 | 1.11 | | 313 | 1.33 | | |
| Total votes | Total votes | 23,687 | 100.00 | | 23,592 | 100.00 | | |
| Registered voters/turnout | Registered voters/turnout | 49,771 | 47.59 | | 49,771 | 47.40 | | |

### By-elections from November 2021

The following by-elections were held to fill vacant ward seats in the period since November 2021.
| Date | Ward | Party of the previous councillor | Party of the previous councillor | Party of the newly elected councillor | Party of the newly elected councillor |
| 8 Nov 2023 | 7 | | Democratic Alliance | | Democratic Alliance |
| 24 Apr 2024 | 11 | | Democratic Alliance | | Patriotic Alliance |