Eleven councillors are elected by first-past-the-post voting in eleven wards, while the remaining ten are chosen from party lists so that the total number of party representatives is proportional to the number of votes received.
[2] 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 Knysna council, the two councillors of the Knysna Community Forum crossed to the African National Congress, and the single councillor of the Independent Civic Organisation crossed to the National People's Party.
[5] The following by-elections were held to fill vacant ward seats in the period between the elections in May 2011 and August 2016.
[6] The following by-elections were held to fill vacant ward seats in the period between the elections in August 2016 and November 2021.