Local Government Elections

Local Government

Department of Local Government and Regional Development
Government of Western Australia

Local Government Elections - Voting

Local Government Elections

Voting

Have Your Say
Local governments make many decisions that affect our communities and it is vital that your views are taken into consideration as part of this decision-making process. By voting at local government elections, you can contribute to effective local government. If you don’t vote, you have no say in determining the person who represents you when making decisions in areas like local planning and development, recreation space and the upkeep of your community.

Voting at a local government election provides you with an opportunity to elect a person you believe can make the best contribution to your community by being a mayor, president or councillor in your local government.

Mayors and Presidents
A mayor is the leader of the council in a city or town and a president is the leader of the council in a shire. The process for electing a mayor or president may differ between local governments. The majority of local governments elect their mayor or president by a vote of councillors and other local governments by a vote of electors. See here for more information.

Voting System for Local Government Elections
The Preferential or Proportional Representation voting system (PPR) was used for the first time at the ordinary elections held on October 20, 2007. Voters must indicate a preference order for all candidates on their ballot papers in order to register a formal vote.

A software system, CountWA (Local Government), developed jointly by the Department and the Western Australian Electoral Commission, is available free of charge to local governments to assist with counting votes. A brief description of both the Preferential and Proportional Representation voting systems is given below.

Preferential Voting System (for Single Member Elections)
The preferential voting system applies in the Legislative Assembly in State parliamentary elections and in the House of Representatives in Federal parliamentary elections where candidates contest a single vacancy.

Voters mark their ballot papers with numbers to show their order of preference for each candidate.

The first stage of the count process is to tally the number of first preferences (number 1 on the ballot paper) that voters have given to each candidate. If no candidate has over 50% of the vote, the candidate with the fewest votes is excluded from the count. The ballot papers with a first preference marked to that candidate are transferred to the next nominated candidate on each ballot paper.

This process continues until a candidate achieves over 50% of the total votes cast and is declared elected.

Proportional Representation Voting System (for Multi-Member Elections)
The proportional representation voting system already applies in the Legislative Council in State parliamentary elections and in the Australian Senate in Federal parliamentary elections where there are multiple vacancies.

Voters mark their ballot papers with numbers to show their order of preference for each candidate.

Candidates need to obtain a quota of votes to be elected. The quota represents the figure at which a candidate is elected. It is calculated using the number of formal votes and the number of positions vacant. The formula is:

	Valid Votes	+1 = Quota

	Number of vacancies +1

The first stage of the count process is to tally the number of first preferences (number 1 on the ballot paper) that voters have given to each candidate.

After the allocation of first preferences, if no candidate has reached the quota, the candidate with the least votes is excluded and ballot papers are transferred to the next nominated candidate. This is repeated until a candidate reaches the quota. Once a candidate is elected, the number of votes he or she receives over and above the quota figure is used to calculate a ‘transfer value’. The transfer value is calculated as follows:

Number of candidate's surplus votes

Number of candidate's total votes

Once this transfer value has been calculated, all of the elected candidate’s ballot papers are then transferred to the next candidate nominated by each voter. The number of ballot papers in each parcel of votes transferred to the other candidates is multiplied by the transfer value. This reduced value reflects the actual number of surplus votes available for transfer. If no-one obtains the quota after this, the next candidate with the least votes is excluded.

This process continues until candidates have been elected to all vacant positions.

View Slideshow of a Proportional Count* *Requires Adobe Flash Plugin

Voting Methods for Local Government Elections

Voting in Person or Postal Elections
Your local government may run its elections as postal elections or as voting in person elections. Where a voting in person election system is in place, you may apply for a postal vote, absent vote or an early vote if you are not able to go to a polling booth on Election Day. Click here to see if your council uses the voting in-person or postal method (List current as at 26/07/2007).

Returning Officer
The elections conducted in each local government are under the control of a returning officer. The Local Government Act 1995 provides that the council’s Chief Executive Officer is the returning officer for every voting in person election unless the local government decides to appoint another person to perform the function. The Electoral Commissioner appoints returning officers for all postal elections.

More Information
Contact your local government for more information on local government elections.

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Frequently Asked Questions What is local government? Local government is the tier of government which is often considered to be the most relevant to us in our daily lives. It also interrelates with both State and Commonwealth governments through funding arrangements for specific programs and areas of mutual interest. For example, State and Australian policies will impact on issues such as immigration and environmental laws and policies relating to seniors and childcare. Areas of Responsibility Local Government Districts Western Australia is divided into 140 districts, each of which is governed by an individual local government which takes responsibility for such activities as waste management, local environmental management, roads, town planning, parks, libraries, social planning and many other services. Council Each local government has a council which sets the policy directions and staff who carry out the decisions of the council. The number of elected members varies depending on the size of the local government. Each council is led by a mayor (city or town) or president (shire). Members Elected members are voted into their position by residents and non-resident ratepayers in the local government district who are at least 18 years of age. Terms of office are generally for a four-year period, with half the total number of council positions becoming vacant every two years. Who can vote? To be eligible to vote in the local government elections, you need to be a resident or a non-resident owner or occupier of rateable property in the local government district, be correctly enrolled to vote in State or Commonwealth elections and be at least 18 years of age on election day. Residents who are correctly enrolled on the State roll for their current address are automatically enrolled to vote. Non-resident owners and occupiers of rateable property are not automatically enrolled. Contact your local government to check whether you are enrolled or to apply to enrol. Click here for an Enrolment Eligibility Claim FormPDF 62.30Kb. This must be sent in to your local government Chief Executive Officer before the close of enrolments. Click here to view the timetable for the Saturday, October 20, 2007 electionsPDF 42.73Kb How do I check if I’m enrolled? To check that you are correctly enrolled for your current address on the State roll, visit the Western Australian Electoral Commission website at www.waec.wa.gov.au. What are the polling hours on Election Day? Polling places are open from 8am to 6pm on Election Day - Saturday, October 20, 2007. Voting In Person Elections How do I cast a vote on election day? There will be one or more polling places open in your district. Check with your local government on the location of polling places. Can I vote early? Yes, you can vote early at a polling place appointed by the Returning Officer for that purpose in your local government. Contact your local government for details. How can I vote if I’m temporarily away from home in WA during the election period? You may lodge an absent vote at any local government in Western Australia after the Election Notice has been published (shortly after the close of nominations). Alternatively, you may apply for postal voting papers to be sent to your temporary address. Make sure that you return your voting package in time for it to be received by the last post before Election Day. How can I vote if I am interstate or overseas? You may lodge a postal vote. This must be received by the close of poll. Postal Elections Where can votes be cast? Electors generally post their voting papers to the Returning Officer before Election Day, but may also deliver their postal voting package to their local polling place before 6pm on Election Day. It is not possible to vote in person at a polling booth when the election is postal. How can I get a postal vote if I’m going to be away when the voting packages are sent out? 1. Redirect mail. 2. Send an application for replacement postal voting papers to the Western Australian Electoral Commission with a request to send the package to your temporary address no earlier than the day after election packages have been issued. Your vote will only be valid if your voting package is received by the last post before Election Day. What if I need help to lodge my vote? Ask at your local government.

For further details on local government elections, contact your local government or use our information request form and we will respond to you as quickly as possible.