Voting in the election
Local Government elections will be held on 21 October 2023.
To be eligible to vote in the 2023 election, you must have been registered on the electoral roll as a resident or on the City of South Perth Non-Resident Owners and Occupiers Roll by 5pm, Friday 25 August.
For further details about these elections, visit Western Australian Electoral Commission website.
Eligibility to vote
Voting
While voting in a local government elections is not compulsory in Western Australia, all electors are strongly encouraged to vote.
There are three steps in the voting process for the City of South Perth local government elections:
- An election voting package will be posted to all City of South Perth electors approximately three weeks before election day
- Electors must complete and return the ballot to the City by 6pm on election day, 21 October 2023
- The count starts at 6pm, Saturday 21 October 2023.
The election results will be published on the City’s website as soon as they are available and they will also be available on the Western Australian Electoral Commission website.
Optional Preferential Voting (OPV)
This year, there will be changes to the voting system with the introduction of Optional Preferential Voting (OPV), which gives electors the option to vote for one candidate or to complete the ballot for preferential voting.
OPV is similar to State and Federal voting systems and helps to strengthen democracy by giving ratepayers a greater choice of candidates.
Under the OPV system, electors number candidates in the order of their preference. You have the option to:
- Vote for one candidate by putting the number 1 next to their name
- Vote for some candidates by numbering several candidates in the order of your preference
- Vote for all candidates by numbers all of the candidates in the order of your preference.
Removal of address from the roll
The state electoral roll and owner and occupier roll are publicly available for inspection. If you are of the opinion that the publication of your address would place your safety, or the safety of your family, at risk you can apply to have your address removed from the roll.
If you are enrolled on the state electoral roll, you can make a claim under s51B of the Electoral Act 1907. Fill out the Application for Removal of Address from State Electoral Roll form and send it to:
Electoral Commissioner
GPO Box 9867
Perth WA 6848
The below forms are also available at the Civic Centre, South Perth and Manning Libraries.
Related documents
Related news
Local government election - close of enrolments
You may be eligible to be enrolled to vote in the local government elections on 21 October 2023 if you live in or are an owner or occupier of rateable property in the City of South Perth.
Residents
You are automatically enrolled to vote if you are on the State Electoral Roll as at 5pm, Friday 25 August 2023. If you are not already on the State Electoral Roll and meet the eligibility criteria, or if you have changed address recently, you must complete an enrolment form.
Enrolment Forms
You can enrol or update your details online, or download an enrolment form, via the Western Australian Electoral Commission website. Forms are also available from the Australian Electoral Commission. Enrolments and updates must be completed and received by 5pm, Friday 25 August 2023.
Non-Resident Owners and Occupiers
If you are a non-resident owner or occupier of rateable property in the City of South Perth and are on the State or Commonwealth Electoral Roll, you are eligible to enrol to vote.
If you are not on the State or Commonwealth Electoral Roll and own or occupy rateable property in the City of South Perth you may be eligible to enrol to vote. This applies if you were on the last electoral roll for the City of South Perth prior to May 1996 and have owned or occupied rateable property in the district continuously since this time. Please contact your local government for details.
Owners of land who were on the last Local Government roll continue to retain that status until they cease to own the rateable property to which the enrolment relates. Occupiers do not have continuous enrolment and should contact the City of South Perth to confirm their enrolment status. To be eligible to enrol as an occupier, you will need to have a right of continuous occupation under a lease, tenancy agreement or other legal instrument for at least the next three months following the date of the application to enrol.
Joint Owners and Occupiers
If a rateable property is owned or occupied by more than two people, a majority of the owners/occupiers may nominate two persons from amongst themselves who are on either the State or Commonwealth Electoral Roll, to enrol as owner/occupier electors.
Corporations
A body corporate that owns or occupies rateable property may nominate two people who are on either the State or Commonwealth Electoral Roll to enrol as owner/occupier electors.
Enrolment Forms – Non-Resident Owners and Occupiers Only
Enrolment forms can be obtained from local governments and must be lodged with the Chief Executive Officer by 5pm, Friday 25 August 2023. Further information can be obtained from the City of South Perth.
ROBERT KENNEDY
ELECTORAL COMMISSIONER
13 63 06
Contact us
- Phone 9474 0777
- Email enquiries@southperth.wa.gov.au
