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.
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.
Types of enrolment
In a local council election, there are two types of enrolment:
- State-enrolled.
- 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.
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:
- 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).
- 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.