Elections

Nominating to be a Councillor:

Councillor nominations will close at 12 noon on 24 September 2024.

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

1. Stepping up to Local Government – Tuesday 16 April
2. MAV Stand for Council Program – Wednesday 14 August
3. Victorian Electoral Commission Candidate Information Sessions – dates to be confirmed

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

Stepping up to Local Government – Tuesday 16 April

Leadership Victoria and the Regional Leadership Collective, including Wimmera Southern Mallee Development through Leadership Wimmera and the Municipal Association of Victoria are running an online event on Tuesday 16 April: Stepping up to Local Government 

Stepping up to Local Government - Leadership Victoria Alumni Event | Humanitix

This is a unique opportunity to understand how you can make a meaningful impact in your local community through policy, advocacy, and governance by serving in local government. You'll hear from experienced local government Councillors and Mayors who are leading by example, serving in communities across Victoria.

You will also discover what supports exist to help you run for local government. And you will have the opportunity to ask questions of our panelists as you seek to address complex challenges and systemic barriers to equity, inclusion and sustainability.

Date: Tuesday, 16 April

Time: 4:30pm - 6:00 pm

Location: Online (Zoom)

Speakers: 

• Cr Susanne Newton, Mayor of Darebin (WCLP ’23)
• Cr Mary Ann Brown, Southern Grampians Shire Council, & Chair of Rural Councils
• Cr Daniel Meade, Moyne Shire Council, previous Mayor. (LGSC alumni)
• Kelly Grigsby, CEO, MAV

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. Our most local session will be held:

• Wednesday 14 August: Wimmera Southern Mallee hosted by Hindmarsh Shire Council

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.

Please note: These sessions are not the Local Government Compulsory Candidate Training. For more information about this please visit the Local Government Victoria Website

Do I have to vote?

Voting in Local Government elections is compulsory for anyone enrolled to vote, unless you are aged 70 or more. 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

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.

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.

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.