Elections

The City's Council elections are held every two years on the third Saturday in October. The upcoming Ordinary elections will be held on the 16 October 2027. 

There is an Extraordinary Election for Como Ward and Moresby Ward to be held on Thursday 24 September 2026.

The Western Australian Electoral Commission (WAEC) will conduct a postal election on behalf of the City of South Perth.

A Returning Officer will be appointed by the WAEC who is responsible for candidate nominations, management of polling places and polling place staff, and supervising the election in their district on polling days.

No, voting in local government elections in not compulsory in Western Australia.

The Mayor and Councillors are elected for four-year terms, with half of the Councillors terms concluding at each biennial election.

Terms may be shorter than four-years, in the cases where a seat is vacated prior to the end of the original term of office. In that case the term of office will coincide with the original term of office of the vacated position.

• Vacant (Como Ward): This vacancy will be filled in the 2026 Extraordinary Local Government Elections to be held on 24 September 2026.
• Vacant (Moresby Ward): This vacancy will be filled in the 2026 Extraordinary Local Government Elections to be held on 24 September 2026.

The Extraordinary Election finishes at 6.00pm on Thursday 24 September 2026. Ballots must be received in the post or delivered in person before then.

Local government elections are conducted using the optional preferential voting system. This method allows electors to rank the candidates in their preferred numerical order.

At least one number ("1") must be placed next to a candidate's name, and if the voter wishes to, they may continue to number some or all of the remaining candidates on their ballot paper.

• The Residents Roll: Individuals who live in the City of South Perth and who are enrolled on the State Electoral Roll.
• Non-Resident Owner and Occupiers Roll: Non-residents owners or occupiers of rateable property in the City. Eligibility conditions apply.

For the Extraordinary Election to be held 24 September 2026:

City of South Perth residents who are enrolled to vote on the state electoral roll as a resident for their property within the Como Ward and Moresby Ward can vote, along with business owners and property owners of the Como Ward and Moresby Ward who have successfully applied and been accepted to be included on the City's owner and occupier electoral roll. 

The residents roll is maintained by the Western Australian Electoral Commission (WAEC). People who live in the City of South Perth and are on the State electoral roll will automatically be on this roll. 

The owner and occupier roll allows people who own a property in the City but do not live here or operate a business in the City to vote in local government elections. Enrolment on this register is subject to strict conditions in accordance with the requirements of the Local Government Act 1995.  

To be eligible for this roll, you must be:

• registered on the state electoral roll where you live;
• either own or provide proof that you have a right of occupation over rateable property (or part of) under a lease, tenancy agreement or other legal instrument;
• provide proof that you have continuously occupied rateable property under a lease or other legal instrument for at least 12 months prior to your claim and for at least the next three months;
• genuinely operate or intend to operate your business from that property;
• provide proof that you lease at least 10m2 of property (subject to a series of exclusions); and

Specific information in relation to your individual circumstances can be discussed with our office.

You can check your enrolment status on the Western Australian Electoral Commission website.

You can visit the following websites and resources for more information:

• Western Australian Electoral Commission
• Department of Local Government, Industry Regulation and Safety
• Western Australian Local Government Association