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Ok. Got itIndependent political analyst JP Landman explains voting trends and what to look out for in the local government elections.
This Political Research Note was prepared by JP Landman in his personal capacity. JP is an independent political and economic analyst and the opinions expressed in this article are his own and do not reflect the views of the Nedbank Group. |
By JP Landman
7 October 2021
Pity the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC). They have about 30 days to prepare, print and distribute ballot papers for more than 60 000 candidates vying to capture one of the more than 9 000 councillor posts up for election. Those ballots must get to more than 20 000 voting districts in 257 municipalities across the country. The local government elections on 1 November is no small logistical endeavour.
The more than 60 000 candidates are linked to 1 482 political parties and ratepayers’ organisations. Imagine if each organisation had a distinct logo that must go onto the ballot paper too!
An easy explanation for the high number of organisations participating in the election is that each municipality consists of 50% ward councillors and 50% councillors elected from party lists – the so-called PR or proportional representatives. Each voter has two votes, one for an individual as ward councillor and one for a party to determine proportional representation. Even if you run as an independent you should link to an organisation in order to collect proportional votes too.
Many proponents of a constituency system argue that it brings a more direct link between a voter and a representative and would result in more accountable democracy. This is not necessarily the case. The local government system provides for direct voting for an individual representative but, overall, it hasn’t contributed to better outcomes for voters. The dire state of local governments testify to that.
The main advantage of the PR system is that it grants representation to smaller and minority parties who would otherwise not have been able to gain a seat. This ensures better inclusion and more participation. The DA, EFF, IFP and a few others have gained from this.
On election night we can watch out for the following five numbers:
Happy voting!
This is a political research note and was prepared by JP Landman in his personal capacity. Landman is an independent political and economic analyst and the opinions expressed in this article are his own and do not reflect the views of the Nedbank Group. Nedbank Private Wealth, an authorised financial services provider through Nedgroup Private Wealth Pty Ltd Reg No 1997/009637/07 (FSP828), registered credit provider through Nedbank Ltd Reg No 1951/000009/06 (NCRCP16), and member of JSE Ltd through Nedgroup Private Wealth Stockbrokers Pty Ltd Reg No 1996/015589/07 (NCRCP59). |