- Polling closes 6pm this Saturday, 21 October
- Ratepayers can cast votes at their local council office
- Landmark reforms have come into effect this election
This Saturday is election day for local governments across Western Australia.
Eligible electors must return their ballot papers by 6pm this Saturday, 21 October to count in their local government elections.
Any voters who have not returned their postal ballot can lodge it in-person at their local government polling place.
Any voters who have not already voted can attend in-person to request a new ballot, even if they have previously discarded postal ballots sent to them.
Many of the Cook Government’s landmark local government reforms have come into effect at these elections, including a one-week extension to the election period to account for the variability in postal delivery times.
Electors across all 44 of the State’s largest local governments now have the opportunity to directly elect their Mayor or Shire President with a record 35 such elections currently being held.
Optional preferential voting has been implemented, to give ratepayers the greatest possible say on who represents them on their local council. These changes have brought council elections more in line with State and Federal elections, and local government elections in all other states.
New backfilling rules mean if a council member resigns within one year of being elected, the resulting vacancy can be backfilled if there is an eligible next highest-polling candidate from the recent election.
This reform will reduce the need for costly extraordinary elections, saving money for ratepayers and reducing the administrative burden for council staff.
Further information on local elections is available at:https://www.dlgsc.wa.gov.au/local-government/local-governments/council-elections
As stated by Local Government Minister David Michael:
“Voting in local council elections is a crucial way to have your say on the future of your local government.
“Right up until 6pm on election day, voters can lodge their vote at their local council offices.
“If you haven’t already voted, please make sure you do.”
