Voting system changed from 'First Past The Post' to Optional Preferential Voting

Voting has changed from the ‘first past the post’ system to optional preferential voting – the same method used in State and Federal elections. Optional preferential voting means you are not required to provide all preferences in casting your vote.

Optional preferential voting means that to be elected you need to either achieve a majority of votes in the count for a single vacancy or a quota of votes where there is more than one vacancy to be filled. As a result, the candidates elected are more representative of the majority of voters. Under the current first-past-the-post voting system candidates have been elected with as little as 4.71% of the vote. Councils will be more representative of the majority of voters with greater opportunities for a diversity of representation and views on council.

The process of the election will remain the same, the key difference being how you complete your vote on your ballot paper, instead of ticking a box or boxes, you will number a box or boxes.

DLGSC has provided the following infographic to assist the new voting system:

Candidate Profiles

The profiles of all the candidates who nominated are as follows.

Draw for position on ballot paper

Types of Voters

Residents

People who are already enrolled as electors on the State Electoral Roll for their residential address, are automatically enrolled on the Resident Roll for Local Government Elections and will not need to make a claim for enrolment.

You are automatically enrolled to vote if you are on the State Electoral Roll as at 5:00 PM Friday, 25 August 2023. If you are a resident of the Shire and are not already on the State Electoral Roll and meet the eligibility criteria, or if you have changed address recently, you must complete an enrolment form and make a claim for enrolment with the State Electoral Commission.

Non-resident Owners and Occupiers

If you are a non-resident owner or occupier of rateable property in the Shire of Exmouth and are on the State or Commonwealth Electoral Roll, you are eligible to enrol to vote. If you are not on the State or Commonwealth Electoral Roll and own or occupy rateable property in the Shire of Exmouth you may be eligible to enrol to vote. This applies if you were on the last electoral roll for the Shire of Exmouth prior to May 1996 and have owned or occupied rateable property in the district continuously since this time. Please contact your local government for details. Owners of land who were on the last Local Government roll continue to retain that status until they cease to own the rateable property to which the enrolment relates. Occupiers do not have continuous enrolment and should contact the Shire of Exmouth to confirm their enrolment status. To be eligible to enrol as an occupier, you will need to have a right of continuous occupation under a lease, tenancy agreement or other legal instrument for at least the next three months following the date of the application to enrol.

Joint Owners and Occupiers

If a rateable property is owned or occupied by more than two people, a majority of the owners/occupiers may nominate two persons from amongst themselves who are on either the State or Commonwealth Electoral Roll, to enrol as owner/occupier electors.

Corporations

A body corporate that owns or occupies rateable property may nominate two people who are on either the State or Commonwealth Electoral Roll to enrol as owner/occupier electors.

How to make sure you can vote in Local Government Elections

Voting is not compulsory but is encouraged.

All eligible electors must enrol to vote. When you enrol to vote, you are enrolled for Commonwealth, State and Local Government Elections. You can check your enrolment online.

All residents in a Local Government district who are enrolled on the State Electoral Roll are automatically enrolled on the corresponding local government roll. 

If you are a resident of the Shire and not already enrolled to vote at your residence, you must make a claim for enrolment with the State Electoral Commission.

What is preferential voting? 

DLGSC has provided the following video to assist in understanding the new voting system:

Returning Officer Information

Name : Quyen Plet

Email: lgro_coolgardie@elections.wa.gov.au

Mobile: 0459 853 216

Local Government Ordinary Postal Election Election Notice

The Shire of Coolgardie is holding an election by postal vote on Saturday, 21 October 2023 to fill vacancies in the offices of Councillors as listed below:

District            4 Councillors

SIMMONS, Daphne

LINDUP, Kathie

KEAST, Tammee

RATHBONE, Tracey

MATTHEWS, Corey James

Election Packages will be sent to all electors on the local government electoral roll where there is an election in their electorate.
You may hand deliver your postal voting papers, or obtain a replacement package (if the package is not received, or should any papers be missing), during business hours before election day from the following location(s):

Coolgardie Community Recreation Centre, 69 Sylvester Street, COOLGARDIE Shire of Coolgardie Kambalda Office, Irish Mulga Drive, KAMBALDA WEST

Post your vote early. Completed postal voting packages must reach the Returning Officer by 6.00pm on election day, Saturday, 21 October 2023.
You may hand deliver your postal voting papers to an electoral officer, or obtain a replacement package (if the package is not received, or should any papers be missing), between 8.00am and 6.00pm on election day at the following location(s):
Chief Polling Place:
Kambalda Recreation Centre, Barnes Drive, KAMBALDA WEST
Other Polling Place(s):

Coolgardie Community Recreation Centre, 69 Sylvester Street, COOLGARDIE 8.00 am - 4.00 pm
The count of votes will commence after 6.00pm at the Kambalda Recreation Centre, Barnes Drive, KAMBALDA WEST.

Electronic Counting Place

30 Beaufort Street, Northbridge may be used as an electronic counting place.
ROBERT KENNEDY
ELECTORAL COMMISSIONER
13 63 06

Local Government Ordinary Election Call for Nominations

An Ordinary Postal Election will be held on Saturday, 21 October 2023 in the Shire of Coolgardie to fill the following vacancies:

Nominations Open on Thursday, 31 August 2023

Nominations Close at 4:00pm Thursday, 7 September 2023

Nominations must be lodged with the Returning Officer:

• at any time during the above period by arrangement; or
• between 2:00pm and 4:00pm Thursday, 7 September 2023 (close of nominations) at the Shire of Coolgardie, Barnes Drive, KAMBALDA WEST.

Nominations Requirements

Candidates are required to lodge with the Returning Officer:

• a completed nomination in the prescribed form, signed and witnessed. This form is available from the Returning Officer or the Western Australian Electoral Commission (elections.wa.gov.au);
• a single A4 page profile of not more than 1,000 characters (including spaces) containing information about the candidate;
• a nomination deposit of $100 (cash, EFT, bank cheque or postal order);
• a recent passport-sized photograph (optional);
• every candidate must have completed the online course titled Local Government Candidate Induction, available at dlgsc.wa.gov.au, prior to nominating; and
• (optional) in addition to your A4 profile, you may provide additional information that you consider to be relevant to your candidature. This written statement must be not more than 2,000 characters (including spaces), must be in the English language and is for publication on the local government’s official website.

The Commission has developed an online system called Nomination Builder to assist candidates to complete their nomination form which includes the candidate profile. This is the preferred method of completing the nomination form and profile for elections conducted by the Commission. Candidates complete their nomination details and profile, print the completed form which has a reference number allocated and lodge it with the Returning Officer. The nomination builder can be accessed via www.elections.wa.gov.au. 

You cannot use Nomination Builder to prepare the additional information.

Where an agent lodges a nomination on a candidate’s behalf, it must be in the prescribed form with a written authorisation signed by the candidate.

The documents may be hand delivered or posted to the Returning Officer and must be received by the close of nominations.

Information

Full details about eligibility and nomination procedures for prospective candidates can be obtained by contacting the Returning Officer, Quyen PLET on 0459 853 216 or the Western Australian Electoral Commission on 13 63 06.

ROBERT KENNEDY

ELECTORAL COMMISSIONER

Local Government Ordinary Election Close of Enrolments

Become a Candidate

If you would like more information on becoming a Candidate please visit the;

Western Australian Electoral Commission

Youth Candidate Forums

Local government elections are scheduled for 21 October 2023.

The Department of Local Government, Sport and Cultural Industries (DLGSC) is working to improve candidate diversity and held a forum targeting culturally and linguistically diverse communities last month.

On Monday 7 August 2023, DLGSC will be holding a forum for people living with a disability interested in becoming a local government councillor.

One group that is also currently under-represented in local government is young people.

To help change this the Youth Affairs Council of Western Australia (YACWA) is holding a series of forums aimed at encouraging young people to consider putting their hand up to stand for local government office.

Funded by DLGSC, YACWA is running the first forum at the Herb Graham Recreation Centre in Mirrabooka from 6pm to 8pm on Tuesday 1 August 2023.

The Minster for Local Government David Michael will be presenting at this event. It will also be live streamed.

The second forum is scheduled to be held at the Grove Library in Peppermint Grove on Thursday 10 August 2023.

The final forum will be in Mandurah with the date and venue to be confirmed.

Learn more and register

2023 Local Government Elections Webinar

WALGA in conjunction with the WA Electoral Commission and the Department of Local Government, Sport and Cultural Activities are currently encouraging members of the community to consider running for Council, as well as reminding the broader community to enrol to vote in the October elections.

A Candidate Information Webinar was held on Monday 14 August 2023. The candidate webinar was hosted at WALGA by State President Cr Karen Chappel and featuring presentations from the Electoral Commission, the Department and WALGA staff. As well as describing the key processes and roles in becoming a Councillor, the webinar included a Question-and-Answer session addressing direct queries from participants.

A recording of the webinar, including slides and graphics can be found here.

(Please be advised that the WALGA President did express an Acknowledgement of Country at the start of the webinar, but due to early technical difficulties it was not recorded.)

The webinar can be posted on your website as information for any potential candidates.

Are you passionate about your local community?

Learn more about the role and responsibilities of a Local Government Councillor in this free, practical forum for potential candidates.

The WA Local Government Association will host a free online Webinar for people interested in standing to be a Councillor in the October 2023 Local Government elections.

When: 14 August 2023
Time: Commencing 6pm
What: a motivating and informative interactive chat, to encourage people from all walks of life to stand for their local Council.
Once you have registered you will receive information on how to join the webinar on 14 August.

How: Online webinar now passed. 

Or join us at the Kambalda Community Recreation Facility, Barnes Drive Kambalda West or the Coolgardie Recreation Centre, Sylvester Street, Coolgardie at 5:45pm for a 6pm start.

Electoral Gift Register

The Shire maintains an electoral gifts register that details certain information of electoral gift declarations made by candidates and donors during local government elections. The register is available below and can also be viewed at the Shire of Coolgardie Administration Offices.

Electoral Gift Register