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 my enrolment

Council-enrolled voters

Council-enrolled voters include people such as ratepayers who qualify to be automatically enrolled by the council, or who apply to council to be enrolled.

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

Council-enrolled voters must be:

• 18 years or older
• not a State-enrolled voter within the council area.

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

Automatic enrolment

You are automatically enrolled by your council for any by-elections if you were enrolled as a non-resident owner (you pay rates on a property but do not live there) at the most recent election for your council. This includes any by-elections.

If your circumstances have changed since the most recent election and you are no longer a non-resident owner of a property, you will not be automatically enrolled for any future by-elections.

People who can apply to enrol

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

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

To apply to enrol as a council-enrolled voter, contact your council directly.