Voting period begins

VOTING in the 2024 local council elections has begun, with ballot packs being mailed to all enrolled voters from Monday this week.

Electoral Commissioner Sven Bluemmel from the Victorian Electoral Commission (VEC) is encouraging people to vote as early as possible.

“With the election being conducted by post, voters must complete and return their ballot material as soon as possible to make sure their vote counts,” Mr Bluemmel said.

Voters should complete and return their ballot material as soon as they receive it.

Your ballot pack will contain:

• 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.

Each item in your ballot pack will have a barcode on it. These barcodes represent a council (and ward, where applicable).

The VEC use these when putting your ballot pack together to make sure it has the right contents.

Your ballot paper envelope includes your unique voter details. The VEC separates any identifying information from the ballot paper envelopes before they are opened, to make sure postal voting is secret and secure.

These documents contain images of barcodes which cannot be read by a screen reader. If you are blind or have low vision, phone 131 832 for assistance.

Completed ballot material must be in the mail or delivered to the election office by 6pm on October 25 or ballots will not be counted.

Voters who have not received a ballot pack by Tuesday, October 15 should head to vec.vic.gov.au to complete an online replacement ballot pack form.

Voting is compulsory for all voters who were enrolled for this election at 4pm on August 7.

Voters who do not vote may be fined.

For wards and councils where the number of candidates matches the number of vacancies, voting will not be required and candidates will be elected unopposed.

For more information on voting, head to vec.vic.gov.au/voting/2024-local-council-elections