Enrolling for local council elections

The roll closed for the 2020 local council elections at 4 pm on Friday 28 August.

If you are enrolled, we will post you a ballot pack between Tuesday 6 and Thursday 8 October 2020. Find out more information below.

Enrolling in the 2020 local council elections in Victoria

Local council elections will be held in Victoria in October 2020 by post. The roll is made of two parts. Find out about who can enrol.
Transcript

Enrolment for 2020 Local Council Elections.

Local council elections will be held across Victoria by post in October, 2020.

The Council voters’ roll is made up of two parts; the State electoral roll of State-enrolled voters, and the Council list of Council-enrolled voters.

State-enrolled voters.

If you’re on the State electoral roll, you will be automatically enrolled for the council elections and mailed a ballot pack in October. You must vote for the address at which you are enrolled – your residential address. If you’re not sure if you’re enrolled, you can check online at vec.vic.gov.au

If you have recently turned 18, changed address or become an Australian citizen, you must enrol to vote in the elections or update your details by 4pm on 28 August. You can enrol online at vec.vic.gov.au or complete a paper enrolment form.

Council-enrolled voters.

You will be automatically enrolled for properties you may own in other local council areas if you were on the council roll as owner at the last council election or by-election.

If you have bought a property in another council area since the last council election or by-election and you would like to vote for it, you must apply to council to enrol.

Regardless of where you live and how many properties you own, you can only vote for one property per council area.

If you’re not an Australian citizen, but you occupy and pay rates on a property in Victoria, you can enrol to vote in local council elections. You can contact your local council directly to enrol and must do this by 4pm on 28 August.

Lastly, elections will not be held for South Gippsland Shire and Casey and Whittlesea City Councils as they are under administration.

Moved house?

If you recently moved house and have not updated your enrolment details, your ballot pack will be sent to your last enrolled (old) address. You must vote for that address or risk a fine.

You will be able to request to have your ballot pack sent to a different address if: 

  • you will be away when ballot packs are mailed (after Tuesday 6 October 2020)
    or
  • your mailing address will change after the close of rolls (Friday 28 August 2020). 

Details on how to request a replacement ballot pack will be available on this website from 6 October.

Types of enrolment

In a council election there are two types of enrolment:

  • State-enrolled
  • council-enrolled.

If you have more than one enrolment entitlement in one council area, you still only get one vote.

State-enrolled voters

You must be on the State roll for your home address (principal place of residence) if you are:

  • an Australian citizen
  • 18 years or older
  • have lived in Victoria for at least one month.

State-enrolled voters must vote. If you do not vote, you may get a fine.

Check your enrolment

Council-enrolled voters

Council-enrolled voters include other people, such as ratepayers (including non-Australian citizens) who have applied to council to be enrolled or who qualify to be automatically enrolled for this election. Some ratepayers can enrol directly with their local council.

It is not compulsory for council-enrolled voters to vote, except in Melbourne City Council.

Council-enrolled voters must be:

  • 18 years or older on election day (Saturday 24 October 2020)
  • not a State-enrolled voter within the council area.

Automatic enrolment

You will be automatically enrolled by your council for this election if you were enrolled as a non-resident owner at the most recent election for your council. This includes any by-elections held since the last general election.

If your circumstances have changed since the most recent election and you are no longer a non-resident owner of that property, you will not be automatically enrolled for this election. Depending on your circumstances, you may still be eligible to apply to be enrolled as a council-enrolled voter.

People who can apply to enrol

You can apply to be a council-enrolled voter if you:

  • pay rates on a property in the council area but do not reside within the council area and were not on the roll for the most recent election or by-election
    or
  • are not an Australian citizen, but you live in and pay rates for a property in a council area
    or
  • pay rates on a property you occupy within a council area and have no other entitlement to vote in the council area
    or
  • are a director or company secretary of a corporation that pays rates on a property within a council area and have no other entitlement to vote in the council area.

To check if you are a council-enrolled voter, contact your council directly.

Find council enrolment contacts.

Melbourne City Council enrolment

The rules about who can apply to enrol vary for Melbourne City Council. Find out more:

Enrolling for the 2020 Melbourne City Council election

 

Video transcript

Melbourne City Council will be having elections this October.

The Melbourne City Council voters' roll is made up of two parts:

  • the State electoral roll of State-enrolled voters
  • the council list of council-enrolled voters.

State-enrolled voters

Everyone enrolled on the Victorian electoral roll within the City of Melbourne will automatically be included on the roll for the 2020 Melbourne City Council elections and will be mailed a ballot pack in October. You must vote for the address at which you are enrolled – your residential address. If you’re not sure if you’re enrolled, you can check online at vec.vic.gov.au

If you have recently turned 18, changed address or become an Australian citizen, you must enrol to vote in the election or update your details by 4pm on Friday 28 August. You can enrol online at vec.vic.gov.au or complete a paper enrolment form.

Council-enrolled voters

Youll be automatically enrolled by council if you pay rates on a property within the City of Melbourne but live elsewhere in Australia outside of the council’s area.

You can apply to votein the Melbourne City Council elections if you are a non-Australian citizen and you live in the council area.

A corporation that owns or occupies a property in the City of Melbourne must appoint two people to represent it at the council election. These people must be a company secretary or director. 

If the corporation fails to appoint representatives, the council will put them on the voters’ roll anyway.

Non-Australian citizens and corporations must apply directly to Melbourne City Council to enrol before 4 pm on Friday 28 August.

If you are enrolled for Melbourne City Council elections, you must vote or risk a fine.