Local Government Elections 2023

Local Government Elections are held every two years on the third Saturday in October.

The Mayor is elected every four years for a four-year term. There are 14 Councillor positions. Half are elected every two years to serve a term of four years. The October 2023 elections will be for seven Councillor positions and the Mayor.

Anyone who is on the City's Electoral Roll as a resident, or a non-resident owner or occupier of rateable property within the City (and is not disqualified) can be a candidate. Nominees of a body corporate cannot stand for election to Council.

The roll for this election consists of:

1. The Residents Roll - Individuals who live in the City of Wanneroo and who are enrolled on the State Electoral Roll.
2. Non-Resident Owner and Occupiers Roll - Non-residents owners or occupiers of rateable property in the City. Eligibility conditions apply.
    

Those residents who live in the City that are enrolled on the State Electoral Roll are automatically enrolled on the Residents' Roll for local government elections. No separate enrolment for the City is required.

The owner and occupier roll is an electoral roll for local government elections where people who own or occupy property within a local government ward and are enrolled to vote at another address in a different ward, can apply to the City to be included on the roll as an owner / occupier. All eligible electors are able to vote once in any ward for which they are enrolled.

It also allows non-resident co-owners and occupiers, a body corporate or company to apply to nominate up to two eligible electors to be included on the owner and occupier roll.

A non-resident owner is a person who owns rateable land within the City but is not a resident. A non-resident owner must be enrolled on the State or Commonwealth Electoral Roll for the area where they live. An individual may only enrol once regardless of the number of properties owned / occupied in the same ward. Each rateable property may claim up to two owners on the roll.

A non-resident occupier is a person, living outside of the City of Wanneroo where the election is being held, who leases or occupies rateable property within the City. A non-resident occupier must be enrolled on the State or Commonwealth Electoral Roll for the area where they live and have a right of continuous occupation of that property for at least three months from the date of application.

Where the property is owned or occupied by more than two people, a majority of the owners and occupiers may nominate two persons amongst themselves, to be enrolled to vote.

A body corporate, which owns or occupies rateable property, may nominate two persons to vote on their behalf. The nominees must be on either the State or Commonwealth electoral rolls. If the body corporate owns properties in more than one ward the same nominees can apply for all wards. The application form is to be signed by an officer of the body corporate. Only two people can be nominated regardless of the number of properties owned or occupied in the City.

YES. People who own or occupy property in the City, but are not residents as they are enrolled under the State or Commonwealth Electoral Roll in a different local government area, are able to enrol to vote.

Residents
People who live in the City are automatically enrolled if they are on the State Electoral Roll. They must be enrolled on this roll by 5pm on the 57th day prior to an election day. Contact the Western Australian Electoral Commission on 13 63 06 (WA only) or (08) 9214 0400 with any enquires.

Owner or Occupier 
Applications will close at 5pm, Friday 25 August 2023. The City of Wanneroo will notify all applicants for this roll of the outcome of their application by 5pm on the 57th day prior to an election day. The City of Wanneroo will notify all applicants for this roll of the outcome of their application no later than 10 days after the close of roll.

You may only have your name on the roll once for each ward no matter how many properties you own or occupy.  A business may have a maximum of two people on the roll as nominees of that company regardless of the number of properties owned or occupied in the City. 

Forms are available from the City of Wanneroo website. Alternatively please email: elections@wanneroo.wa.gov.au or phone the Council Elections Officer on 9405 5000.

The State Government is implementing the most significant reforms to the local government sector in 25 years to increase the transparency, accountability and efficiency of Local Government in WA. One of the key reforms is the change from the 'first past the post' system of voting to optional preferential voting (OPV). This change will be introduced for the October 2023 local government elections, bringing the sector in line with state and federal elections and helping make Council more representative and responsive to ratepayers and giving ratepayers a greater choice of candidates. You can find more information about OPV and other Local Government reforms on the Department of Local Government, Sport and Cultural Industries website.

The Western Australian Electoral Commission (WAEC) conducts the election on behalf of the City. Election Packages containing information on the candidates, instructions on how to vote, the ballot paper, and the return envelopes, are posted to electors about three weeks before the Election Day.

No, voting in local government elections is not compulsory in Western Australia.

No. These forms of voting are not available for postal elections. If you are going to be away at election time you can get someone to forward you the voting package.

All ballot papers can be completed anytime and returned by 6pm at the close of poll on election day at the latest to be included in the count for the election.

Election packages are posted approximately three weeks before Election Day. A replacement package can be issued if it has been lost or destroyed. Contact the Council Elections Officer on 9405 5000 or elections@wanneroo.wa.gov.au