# Bergrivier Local Municipality elections

The Bergrivier Local Municipality council consists of thirteen members elected by mixed-member proportional representation. Seven councillors are elected by first-past-the-post voting in seven wards, while the remaining 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 the Democratic Alliance (DA) obtained a majority of eight seats on the council.

## Results

The following table shows the composition of the council after past elections.
| Event | ANC | DA | Other | Total |
| 2000 election | 6 | 7 | 0 | 13 |
| 2004 floor-crossing | 7 | 5 | 1 | 13 |
| 2006 election | 6 | 6 | 1 | 13 |
| 2011 election | 5 | 7 | 1 | 13 |
| 2016 election | 4 | 9 | 0 | 13 |
| 2021 election | 3 | 8 | 2 | 13 |

## 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 | 6,124 | 51.22 | 5 | 6,242 | 52.19 | 2 | 7 |
| | African National Congress | 5,338 | 44.64 | 2 | 5,424 | 45.35 | 4 | 6 |
| | African Christian Democratic Party | 271 | 2.27 | 0 | 295 | 2.47 | 0 | 0 |
| | Independent candidates | 224 | 1.87 | 0 | | | | 0 |
| Total | Total | 11,957 | 100.00 | 7 | 11,961 | 100.00 | 6 | 13 |
| Valid votes | Valid votes | 11,957 | 98.67 | | 11,961 | 98.68 | | |
| Invalid/blank votes | Invalid/blank votes | 161 | 1.33 | | 160 | 1.32 | | |
| Total votes | Total votes | 12,118 | 100.00 | | 12,121 | 100.00 | | |
| Registered voters/turnout | Registered voters/turnout | 16,970 | 71.41 | | 16,970 | 71.43 | | |

### 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 |
| 23 June 2004 | 5 | | Democratic Alliance | | African National Congress |

### September 2004 floor crossing

In terms of the Eighth Amendment of the Constitution, in the period from 1–15 September 2004 councillors had the opportunity to cross the floor to a different political party without losing their seats. In the Bergrivier council one Democratic Alliance councillor left the party to sit as an independent.
| Party | Seats before | Net change | Seats after |
| African National Congress | 7 | 0 | 7 |
| Democratic Alliance | 6 | 1 | 5 |
| Independent | — | 1 | 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 |
| | African National Congress | 6,190 | 46.95 | 4 | 6,003 | 45.57 | 2 | 6 |
| | Democratic Alliance | 5,704 | 43.26 | 3 | 5,686 | 43.16 | 3 | 6 |
| | Independent Democrats | 1,113 | 8.44 | 0 | 1,227 | 9.31 | 1 | 1 |
| | African Christian Democratic Party | 42 | 0.32 | 0 | 157 | 1.19 | 0 | 0 |
| | United Democratic Movement | 42 | 0.32 | 0 | 100 | 0.76 | 0 | 0 |
| | Independent candidates | 93 | 0.71 | 0 | | | | 0 |
| Total | Total | 13,184 | 100.00 | 7 | 13,173 | 100.00 | 6 | 13 |
| Valid votes | Valid votes | 13,184 | 99.07 | | 13,173 | 98.97 | | |
| Invalid/blank votes | Invalid/blank votes | 124 | 0.93 | | 137 | 1.03 | | |
| Total votes | Total votes | 13,308 | 100.00 | | 13,310 | 100.00 | | |
| Registered voters/turnout | Registered voters/turnout | 20,827 | 63.90 | | 20,827 | 63.91 | | |

### By-elections from September 2007 to May 2011

The following by-elections were held to fill vacant ward seats in the period between the floor crossing period in September 2007 and the election in 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 |
| 10 December 2008 | 4 | | African National Congress | | Independent |
| 24 February 2010 | 1 | | 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 | 7,942 | 53.08 | 5 | 7,934 | 52.96 | 2 | 7 |
| | African National Congress | 5,196 | 34.73 | 1 | 5,241 | 34.99 | 4 | 5 |
| | Congress of the People | 1,700 | 11.36 | 1 | 1,677 | 11.19 | 0 | 1 |
| | The Peoples Independent Civic Organisation | 91 | 0.61 | 0 | 88 | 0.59 | 0 | 0 |
| | South African Progressive Civic Organisation | 34 | 0.23 | 0 | 40 | 0.27 | 0 | 0 |
| Total | Total | 14,963 | 100.00 | 7 | 14,980 | 100.00 | 6 | 13 |
| Valid votes | Valid votes | 14,963 | 99.03 | | 14,980 | 99.17 | | |
| Invalid/blank votes | Invalid/blank votes | 147 | 0.97 | | 125 | 0.83 | | |
| Total votes | Total votes | 15,110 | 100.00 | | 15,105 | 100.00 | | |
| Registered voters/turnout | Registered voters/turnout | 23,213 | 65.09 | | 23,213 | 65.07 | | |

### 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 |
| 7 August 2013 | 5 | | 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 | 10,450 | 64.06 | 7 | 10,405 | 64.10 | 2 | 9 |
| | African National Congress | 5,324 | 32.63 | 0 | 5,295 | 32.62 | 4 | 4 |
| | Freedom Front Plus | 326 | 2.00 | 0 | 290 | 1.79 | 0 | 0 |
| | Economic Freedom Fighters | 185 | 1.13 | 0 | 195 | 1.20 | 0 | 0 |
| | The Peoples Independent Civic Organisation | | | | 48 | 0.30 | 0 | 0 |
| | Independent candidates | 29 | 0.18 | 0 | | | | 0 |
| Total | Total | 16,314 | 100.00 | 7 | 16,233 | 100.00 | 6 | 13 |
| Valid votes | Valid votes | 16,314 | 99.28 | | 16,233 | 98.93 | | |
| Invalid/blank votes | Invalid/blank votes | 118 | 0.72 | | 175 | 1.07 | | |
| Total votes | Total votes | 16,432 | 100.00 | | 16,408 | 100.00 | | |
| Registered voters/turnout | Registered voters/turnout | 26,310 | 62.46 | | 26,310 | 62.36 | | |
The local council sends two representatives to the council of the West Coast District Municipality: one from the Democratic Alliance and one from the African National Congress.

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

The DA subsequently lost one seat to the African National Congress (ANC) in a by-election on 23 August 2017. However, the DA won the ward back in another by-election held on 16 January 2019. The 2016 council composition was thus restored.
| Date | Ward | Party of the previous councillor | Party of the previous councillor | Party of the newly elected councillor | Party of the newly elected councillor |
| 23 August 2017 | 5 | | Democratic Alliance | | African National Congress |
| 16 January 2019 | 5 | | African National Congress | | Democratic Alliance |

## 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 | 9,263 | 62.09 | 7 | 9,269 | 62.10 | 1 | 8 |
| | African National Congress | 2,970 | 19.91 | 0 | 2,937 | 19.68 | 3 | 3 |
| | Patriotic Alliance | 1,043 | 6.99 | 0 | 1,060 | 7.10 | 1 | 1 |
| | Good | 591 | 3.96 | 0 | 622 | 4.17 | 1 | 1 |
| | Freedom Front Plus | 596 | 3.99 | 0 | 606 | 4.06 | 0 | 0 |
| | Economic Freedom Fighters | 229 | 1.53 | 0 | 226 | 1.51 | 0 | 0 |
| | Cape Independence Party | 76 | 0.51 | 0 | 96 | 0.64 | 0 | 0 |
| | Africa Restoration Alliance | 38 | 0.25 | 0 | 43 | 0.29 | 0 | 0 |
| | Independent candidates | 61 | 0.41 | 0 | | | | 0 |
| | United Democratic Movement | 28 | 0.19 | 0 | 33 | 0.22 | 0 | 0 |
| | Sizwe Ummah Nation | 24 | 0.16 | 0 | 33 | 0.22 | 0 | 0 |
| Total | Total | 14,919 | 100.00 | 7 | 14,925 | 100.00 | 6 | 13 |
| Valid votes | Valid votes | 14,919 | 99.25 | | 14,925 | 99.28 | | |
| Invalid/blank votes | Invalid/blank votes | 112 | 0.75 | | 108 | 0.72 | | |
| Total votes | Total votes | 15,031 | 100.00 | | 15,033 | 100.00 | | |
| Registered voters/turnout | Registered voters/turnout | 27,541 | 54.58 | | 27,541 | 54.58 | | |