The Greater Shepparton City Council election is creeping up, so The News has created a one-stop shop for all the important dates you need to know about.
The election results will be declared on Friday, November 15, but before then, here are some things to note.
Firstly, to vote in this election, you must be correctly enrolled by 4pm on Wednesday, August 7. There are two types of enrolment, the first being state enrolment and the second being council enrolment.
State-enrolled voters must enrol and vote if they are Australian citizens, 18 years or older and have lived at their address for longer than one month.
Council-enrolled voters can apply to enrol with the local council if they are 18 years or older, an owner ratepayer, occupier ratepayer, or represent a corporation, and they still need to be state-enrolled voters in the council area. Note that you do not have to be an Australian citizen to become a council-enrolled voter.
Once you are enrolled, you must vote, or you risk receiving a fine.
Voting:
Voting for this election will be via post only. The council will post ballot packs to all enrolled voters from Wednesday, August 7.
You can expect to find a ballot paper, candidate statements, a ballot paper envelope (for your vote to go in), a reply-paid envelope (for your ballot paper envelope to go in) and a leaflet with instructions in other languages in these ballot packs.
An important reminder is to make sure you post it or drop it off at the election office before 6pm on Friday, October 25.
Candidates:
For those who wish to stand as a candidate in this election, nominations will open on Monday, September 9 and close at noon on Tuesday, September 17.
If you are thinking about running, there will be an information session about becoming a candidate soon, with details about the event available in the coming weeks.
To nominate, you must complete the Victorian government’s free local government candidate training before nominating, complete the nomination form, schedule an appointment to submit your completed nomination form in person at the election office (available from Tuesday, August 20) and pay the $250 nomination fee.
The council encourages candidates to provide voters information about your background, qualifications and what you stand for by providing a candidate statement of up to 200 words, a recent photo of yourself and answers to the candidate questionnaire.
If this all feels a bit overwhelming, do not stress, as a candidate helper will be available from Tuesday, August 20. This will be an online tool to help you prepare your nomination and other documentation.
The complete list of candidates in ballot draw order will be available on the greater Shepparton city council website from Wednesday, September 18.
Recap on the all-important timeline:
Wednesday, August 7 – enrolment to vote closes at 4pm.
Monday, September 9 – nominations open at 9am.
Tuesday, September 17 – nominations, candidate statements, photographs and questionnaires close at noon.
Wednesday, September 18 – ballot draw.
Monday, October 7 – ballot pack mail out begins.
Friday, October 25 – voting closes at 6pm.
Friday, November 1 – all postal votes must be received by noon.
Friday, November 15 – all election results declared.
For more information, go to vec.vic.gov.au/voting/2024-local-council-elections/greater-shepparton-city-council
• Alice O’Brien is a Media Communication and Design student at Monash University, and is currently completing an internship with The News.