About voting - Local council elections
Is it compulsory to vote?
What if I fail to vote?
Who am I electing?
Why is voting important?
What is the timeline for a council election?
How do I vote in council elections?
How are votes counted?
What are by-elections and count-backs?
On Saturday, 29 November 2008, all local council elections will be held at the same time. After this, they will be held every four years on the last Saturday in November.
Local council elections can be conducted by postal voting or attendance voting. Each council chooses its preferred method before each election.
Elections for the City of Melbourne have a number of unique features.
Residents who fail to vote without an adequate reason may be fined. Only non-resident voters and voters aged 70 years or over are not obliged to vote at local council elections.
If it is compulsory for you to vote in a local council election, and you did not vote, you will be given an opportunity to explain.
Step one: Apparent failure to vote notice You may be sent an "apparent failure to vote notice". This notice asks you to explain why it appears you did not vote. You are required to respond to this notice within 28 days of receiving it. If your explanation is accepted, you will be excused for not voting. No further action will be taken.
Step two: Infringement notice If you do not respond to the "apparent failure to vote notice" within 28 days of receiving it, or your explanation is considered invalid, you will be sent an "infringement notice". This notice is accompanied by a request to pay a penalty of $57.00. You are required to respond to this notice within 42 days of receiving it.
The number of councillors you elect and the municipality's electoral structure are determined by the Minister for Local Government.
Councils undergo an electoral representation review before every second election to determine whether their number of councillors, electoral structure and electoral boundaries provide fair and equitable representation.
Select your council for details of any candidates for current elections or by-elections.
Select your council for dates of any current elections or by-elections.
Example of local council election ballot paper
If there is more than one vacancy in a ward, or if the municipality is unsubdivided, then votes are counted using the proportional representation system.
Ballot papers look the same, and voters mark them in the same way, for both systems of vote counting.
Count-backs occur in multi-councillor wards and unsubdivided municipalities if a councillor resigns or can no longer hold office more than six months before a general election.
In a count-back, the votes for the vacating councillor from the last election are redistributed to unsuccessful candidates according to the voters' preferences. The candidate who receives more than 50% of these votes is declared elected. Voters do not need to vote again in a count-back.
Download information on the Countback Counting System (PDF, 486 KB) for candidates. You need Adobe Acrobat Reader to view PDF files. If you would prefer a hard copy, please contact the VEC.
What if I fail to vote?
Who am I electing?
Why is voting important?
What is the timeline for a council election?
How do I vote in council elections?
How are votes counted?
What are by-elections and count-backs?
On Saturday, 29 November 2008, all local council elections will be held at the same time. After this, they will be held every four years on the last Saturday in November.
Local council elections can be conducted by postal voting or attendance voting. Each council chooses its preferred method before each election.
Elections for the City of Melbourne have a number of unique features.
Is it compulsory to vote?
Yes. Voting is compulsory for residents who are on the voters' roll for local council elections.Residents who fail to vote without an adequate reason may be fined. Only non-resident voters and voters aged 70 years or over are not obliged to vote at local council elections.
What if I fail to vote?
Voting at your local council election is compulsory if you were on the voters roll on Friday, 3 October 2008. This includes homeowners and tenants. It is not compulsory to vote if you are aged 70 or over, or do not live in the municipality in which you are entitled to vote (non-resident voters). The exception is the City of Melbourne, where voting is compulsory for everybody on the voters roll under 70 years of age. This includes investment property owners.If it is compulsory for you to vote in a local council election, and you did not vote, you will be given an opportunity to explain.
Step one: Apparent failure to vote notice You may be sent an "apparent failure to vote notice". This notice asks you to explain why it appears you did not vote. You are required to respond to this notice within 28 days of receiving it. If your explanation is accepted, you will be excused for not voting. No further action will be taken.
Step two: Infringement notice If you do not respond to the "apparent failure to vote notice" within 28 days of receiving it, or your explanation is considered invalid, you will be sent an "infringement notice". This notice is accompanied by a request to pay a penalty of $57.00. You are required to respond to this notice within 42 days of receiving it.
Who am I electing?
At local council elections, you elect people to represent you on your council.The number of councillors you elect and the municipality's electoral structure are determined by the Minister for Local Government.
Councils undergo an electoral representation review before every second election to determine whether their number of councillors, electoral structure and electoral boundaries provide fair and equitable representation.
Select your council for details of any candidates for current elections or by-elections.
Why is voting important?
The councillors you elect make decisions on a range of local issues. Their responsibilities include:- maternal and child health centres and child care;
- meals on wheels and home help;
- the maintenance of sporting facilities and recreation reserves;
- libraries and community centres;
- animal registrations;
- rubbish and recycling collection;
- town planning and building regulations; and
- the maintenance of local roads and footpaths.
What is the timeline for a council election?
| Number of days | Event |
|---|---|
| 57 days before election day |
Entitlement date People must be on the State or local council roll by this date to be eligible to vote at the election. |
| 32 days before election day |
Close of nominations Candidates must be nominated by 12 noon, 32 days before election day. |
| 1 day before election day |
Close of voting (postal elections) In postal elections, ballot papers must be received by 6.00 pm on this day. |
|
Election Day
In attendance elections, voters cast their votes on this day. This day must be the last Saturday in November. |
Select your council for dates of any current elections or by-elections.
How do I vote in council elections?
Place a 1 in the box next to your preferred candidate, and then number all of the remaining boxes in the order of your preference.Example of local council election ballot paper
How are votes counted?
If there is only one vacancy in a ward, votes are counted using the full preferential system.If there is more than one vacancy in a ward, or if the municipality is unsubdivided, then votes are counted using the proportional representation system.
Ballot papers look the same, and voters mark them in the same way, for both systems of vote counting.
What are by-elections and count-backs?
By-elections occur if a councillor in a single-councillor ward resigns or can no longer hold office more than six months before a general election. In a by-election, only the people of that ward vote.Count-backs occur in multi-councillor wards and unsubdivided municipalities if a councillor resigns or can no longer hold office more than six months before a general election.
In a count-back, the votes for the vacating councillor from the last election are redistributed to unsuccessful candidates according to the voters' preferences. The candidate who receives more than 50% of these votes is declared elected. Voters do not need to vote again in a count-back.
Download information on the Countback Counting System (PDF, 486 KB) for candidates. You need Adobe Acrobat Reader to view PDF files. If you would prefer a hard copy, please contact the VEC.