2024 Local Government Elections

Council Elections

Local Government elections are held every four years. The West Wimmera Shire Council general election was held in October 2020 and five Councillors were elected by all residents and represent all residents in the municipality.  

The upcoming 2024 Local Government elections will be conducted by the Victorian Electoral Commission (VEC) via postal voting in the lead up to 26 October 2024. Voting information can be found on the VEC website Home | Victorian Electoral Commission (vec.vic.gov.au)

Voting 

Voting in the West Wimmera Shire Council election is entirely by post – there are no voting centres.

The VEC will send ballot packs to all enrolled voters between Monday 7 October and Thursday 10 October. Packs are delivered in random order, so voters in the same home may receive their packs on different days.

The election uses full preferential voting: voters will need to put the number ‘1’ in the box next to the candidate they most want to see elected, and then number all the other boxes in order of their choice. Voters must number every box and only use each number once.

Results 

The VEC can only finalise results after it has received all ballots admissible to the count.

The Local Government (Electoral) Regulations 2020 allow postal votes to be received until 12 noon on Friday 1 November. This ensures votes signed by the close of voting can be included in the count. Votes received during the extended period will be admitted if the voter completed them before the close of voting.

Candidates can appoint scrutineers to watch the counting process.

The VEC expects the successful candidate to be declared no later than Friday 15 November.

Once declared elected, the Chief Executive Officer of West Wimmera Shire Council will swear in the incoming councillors under the Local Government Act 2020. Councillors will represent their community until the next general election in 2028.

 

West Wimmera Shire Council's Election Period Policy is incorporated in the Governance Rules and was reviewed and updated in November 2022.  To view the policy, click on the link below.

Election Period Policy(PDF, 153KB)

Candidates

Nominating to be a Councillor:

The nominations for the 2024 local government elections closed at 12 noon, 17 September 2024. The VEC received 6 nominations for West Wimmera Shire Council.

Check the Nominations | Victorian Electoral Commission (vec.vic.gov.au)  to see who has nominated for your council. 

 

Become a local council candidate | Victorian Electoral Commission (vec.vic.gov.au)

Under the resources title on the above page – the ‘candidate information series’ – 4 short form pre-recorded videos have been uploaded to YouTube. 

Candidate information videos - YouTube

There will be various information sessions for those interested in nominating to be a Councillor which include:

  1. MAV Women X Stand for Council - Wednesday 26 June 
  2. MAV Stand for Council Program – Thursday 8 August and Wednesday 14 August
  3. Victorian Electoral Commission Candidate Information Sessions:
  • 6 pm Wednesday 4 September – Town Hall, Supper Room, Baker Street, Kaniva
  • 6 pm Thursday 5 September – Edenhope District and Community Centre, 76 Elizabeth Street, Edenhope

 

Call for candidates for West Wimmera Shire Council election

Candidates ready to stand in the upcoming West Wimmera Shire Council postal election are urged to use the Victorian Electoral Commission’s (VEC’s) newly refreshed Candidate Helper to get their applications ready for submission when nominations open on Monday 9 September.

Electoral Commissioner Sven Bluemmel reminded candidates that there are several important steps they must complete before nominating.

‘If you want to represent your local community, make sure to confirm your eligibility and complete the mandatory online candidate training through Local Government Victoria before lodging your nomination. This rule applies to all candidates, including those who are currently or have previously been a councillor,’ Mr Bluemmel said.

The VEC’s online Candidate Helper at vec.vic.gov.au/council-candidate allows candidates to pre-fill their nomination forms before submitting them at their nomination appointment.

Candidates can also watch a series of videos on key topics such as the nomination process, including the rules and procedures that apply. More information is available online at vec.vic.gov.au. The Candidate Handbook is also available on the VEC website.

Prospective candidates are also encouraged to attend the candidate information sessions being held in each electorate before the opening of nominations.

Prospective candidates must make an appointment to submit their nomination forms and pay the $250 fee in person during business hours. They must provide evidence that they have completed the online candidate training, as this is required by law and will be shown on each candidate’s nomination form.

Candidates must make an appointment to submit their nomination form in person at the election office by calling the Candidate Helpline 03 8620 1316 between Tuesday 20 August and Monday 9 September. From Monday 9 September candidates can call 131 832 and they will be directed through to the relevant election office.

Nominations close at 12 noon on Tuesday 17 September. Late nominations will not be accepted.

More information on nominating is available at vec.vic.gov.au

 

 

It is important to register for these events – see further details below:

MAV 2024 Stand for Council Program

Council is partnering with the MAV to take part in the 2024 Stand for Council Program (Stand for Council | MAV website) to run information sessions for the community and prospective candidates for the 2024 council elections. You can attend these sessions either in-person or online and by attending one of these sessions, participants will be provided with information about:

  • Local government and the important role councils play for our local communities
  • The role and responsibility of a Councillor, Mayor, Deputy Mayor and CEO
  • The election process and candidate requirements
  • What newly elected councillors can expect soon after the elections
  • Councillor training and development opportunities

The sessions will be held at various metropolitan and non-metropolitan locations across Victoria, with interested participants able to register to attend more than one session, including outside of their municipality. Please note that you will not be able to attend a session without registration. Click to register to attend a session here.  sessions will be held:

  • Thursday 8 August: Ballarat Town Hall at 6.30-8.30pm
  • Wednesday 14 August: Nhill Memorial Community Centre at 6.30-8.30pm

     

To support and encourage a range of diverse candidates the MAV will also be hosting a number of additional sessions for women, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders, people with disabilities, youth, culturally and linguistically diverse and LGBTIQA+ communities.

Local Government Victoria - Online Training

Online Candidate Training has been fully revised by LGV and is now available. All candidates in any council election in Victoria are required to complete the online Local Government Candidate Training. All candidates must also declare to the Victorian Electoral Committee (VEC) when they have completed the training in order to nominate. The online Candidate Training is available to complete now on the Local Government Victoria website and takes around one hour to complete.

Candidate nominations for council elections will open on Monday 9 September and close at midday on Tuesday 17 September 2024 – so it’s a good idea for candidates to complete the training before nominations open. For more information on the Local Government Candidate Training visit localgovernment.vic.gov.au/council-governance/candidate-training.

Citizen to Councillor Guide

With the MAV information sessions now concluded, they have now released the MAV Citizen to Councillor Guide 2024. This is a practical resource about Victorian local government. While the guide has been prepared for candidates, it will also be of use after the upcoming elections.

MAV Citizen to Councillor Guide 2024 | MAV website

 

 

Enrolment & Voting

Do I have to vote?

Voting in Local Government elections is compulsory for anyone enrolled to vote. Councillors are elected by all residents and represent all residents in the municipality. Voting is important as the Councillors elected make decisions on a range of local issues.

If you are unsure if you are enrolled to vote or your address has recently changed, it is important to check or update your details by going to the Victorian Electoral Commission website. Alternatively, you can contact the Victorian Electoral Commission on 131 382.

Enrol to Vote - Close of Roll - 7 August 2024

The rules for council-enrolled voters have changed.

What has changed?

In previous elections:

  • property owners who didn't live in the area would be automatically enrolled - now you must apply if you want to vote in the 2024 and future local council elections and by-elections
  • it was not compulsory to vote - now you must vote if you are on the roll or you may get a fine. 

All council elections are conducted by the VEC and are conducted by postal vote.

If you are an Australian citizen who lives in Victoria you can check your enrolment details online at Check my details | Victorian Electoral Commission (vec.vic.gov.au) at any time.

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Types of enrolment

In a local council election, there are two types of enrolment:

  1. State-enrolled.
  2. Council-enrolled.

You have one vote in West Wimmera Shire Council. If you are a state-enrolled voter, that is the enrolment you use to vote.

types-of-enrolment.png

State-enrolled voters

You must enrol and vote if you:

  • are 18 years or older
  • are an Australian citizen
  • have lived at your address for longer than one month.

Council-enrolled voters

You can apply to become a council-enrolled voter in West Wimmera Shire Council if you are:

  • a property owner, occupier or represent a corporation
  • 18 years or older
  • ·not a State-enrolled voter with West Wimmera shire Council.

If you are on the council roll, you must vote. If you don’t vote, you may get a fine.

The rules for council-enrolled voters have changed so it’s a good idea to read this carefully.

The different enrolment categories are explained below.

Owner ratepayers

You can apply to enrol in West Wimmera Shire Council if you:

  • own property and pay rates in the council area
  • are 18 or over
  • are not a state-enrolled voter who lives in the West Wimmera Shire Council.

This includes:

  1. Australian citizens who own property in the West Wimmera Shire Council but do not occupy the property (i.e. you do not live in the shire area).
  2. Non-citizens who own property in the shire and occupy that property.

A maximum of 2 owners can apply to enrol for any one property.

Occupier ratepayers

You can apply to enrol directly with your local council if you:

  • pay rates for a property that you occupy but do not own
  • are 18 or older
  • are not a state-enrolled voter.

A maximum of 2 occupiers can apply to enrol for any one property.

Corporations

You can apply to enrol to vote on behalf of a corporation if you:

  • are a director or company secretary of a corporation that pays rates (either as an owner or an occupier) in the council area
  • have consented to being appointed as the corporation’s representative
  • are not already a state-enrolled voter or council-enrolled voter for the same council.

Only one person can apply to enrol as the corporation’s representative.

Summary

If you meet these criteria, you can apply to enrol by completing the appropriate application form (links at bottom of page) and returning the form to council@westwimmera.vic.gov.au or contact council directly by calling 13 99 72 prior to the close of roll. Once you are enrolled, you must vote for the October 2024 elections. If you don’t vote, you may get a fine.

Occupier ratepayers’ and corporations enrolment expires before the next local government general election. If you want to continue to vote, you must apply to enrol again before the next local council general election. West Wimmera Shire Council will send you an invitation when it is time to renew your enrolment.

You can resign your enrolment by completing the resignation of enrolment application below and returning to council@westwimmera.vic.gov.au

Close of roll

The roll for the election closes at 4pm on Wednesday 7 August 2024.

Please refer to the Victorian Electoral Commission website link for more details below.

Election information

The Victorian Electoral Commission conduct elections on behalf of all Victorian councils.

For more information, visit the VEC website or call the VEC on 131 832.

Frequently Asked Questions for Candidates

Here are some FAQ(PDF, 804KB)  provided by the Victorian Department of Jobs, Precincts and Regions.

Related Information

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