It is compulsory to enrol and vote for your principal place of residence if you
- are an Australian citizen, or a qualified British subject*; and
- are aged 18 years or over; and
- have lived at your current address in Victoria for at least one month.
Each time you change your address, you must update your enrolment details or you may be removed from the roll and fined. Additionally, you should advise the VEC if any other enrolment details change such as your name or postal address.
* A qualified British subject for the Electoral Roll in Victoria is one who was on an Australian electoral roll between 26 October 1983 and 26 January 1984.
The electoral roll for a council election is made up of two parts; state enrolled voters and council enrolled voters. Under the Local Government Act 1989, you must vote for your principal place of residence (state enrolment) and can choose to vote for property you own in another municipality (council enrolment)*.
* Melbourne City Council is an exception. You must vote for any investment property located within the City of Melbourne.
You are only entitled to one vote in any single municipality. If you own multiple properties in a single municipality, for example, you may still only vote once in that municipality's local council elections.
State enrolled voters are on the State/Federal electoral register of electors. When you enrol for State and Federal elections, you are automatically enrolled on the council roll for the municipality you live in- as this is your principal place of residence.
Council voters are automatically enrolled if they own property in a municipality, live in another municipality, and are the first or second named ratepayer for that property. Multiple property owners are entitled to vote for only one property in a municipality; the property is determined by the council unless application is made to council to specify a particular property.
If you are not automatically enrolled, you can apply to enrol at local council elections if you:
- are not an Australian citizen but are a resident ratepayer in your municipality; or
- pay council rates on a property you occupy and have no other voting entitlement in the municipality. You must either be receiving the rates notice or have the written consent of the owner to vote in their place; or
- are a director or company secretary of a corporation that pays rates to the Council and you have no other voting entitlement within the municipality.
You are entitled to only one vote in a municipality irrespective of how many properties you own or occupy in that municipality.
To enrol for local council elections under these circumstances you must contact your council's Revenue Manager (external link).
