What Happens at Election

  Election stages

• Notice of election  

  When do the elections begin?

  The local government elections commence with the issue of the Notice of Election, that states:

  • the election timetable;
  • the number of vacancies to be filled for each council;
  • the name of the returning officer and electoral officer for each council;
  • information for nominating; and
  • details of the entitlement to vote.

  The Notice is issued and advertised prominently on the seventh Saturday prior to the close of polling.

  Managers

  A returning officer for each council election is appointed by the Electoral Commissioner to undertake important election duties, such as accepting nominations, receiving returned postal votes and conducting the count.

  The returning officer may appoint an electoral officer for each council to assist in conducting the poll. The electoral officer is a representative of the returning officer at the council and can receive nominations on behalf of the returning officer and issue supplementary postal votes.

  • Close of the roll

    At the close of the roll, an election roll is produced for each council containing the names of all people who are eligible to vote at the election.

    The roll for the local government elections closes at 6pm on the Thursday after the Notice of Election is issued.

    The election roll for local government elections is generated from two sources:

    • electors on the State House of Assembly roll who reside within the municipality; and
    • electors on the General Manager’s roll.

    Go to 'Voting at local government elections' for more information.

  • Nominations

    Candidate nomination forms must be lodged, posted or faxed so as to be received by the returning officer before the nomination period closes. Candidates may also provide a short statement and a recent photo which will accompany the ballot papers sent to electors.

    Go to the candidate information page for more details.

  • Announcement of Candidates

    Twenty-four hours after the close of nominations, the returning officer announces the names of candidates whose nominations have been accepted. Once all candidates have been announced the returning officer conducts the draw for positions of candidate names on the first ballot paper rotation.

    Candidate names on local government ballot papers are rotated so that each candidate name appears an equal number of times at the top, the bottom and in other positions on the ballot paper. This process is known as ‘Robson rotation’ and is also used for Tasmanian Parliamentary elections.

• Polling Period  

  • Postal ballot packs

    After the announcement of candidates, postal ballot packs are prepared, printed and packed for mailout commencing the following week.

    All electors will receive postal ballot packs in their letterboxes over the period of a week. The postal ballot pack contains:

    • ballot papers;
    • a booklet containing candidate statements and voting instructions;
    • a ballot paper envelope (this envelope must be signed by the elector to ensure ballot security); and
    • a reply paid envelope for returning your ballot paper envelope which contains your completed ballot paper (voting won’t even cost a stamp).

    If electors do not receive their postal ballot packs, or need a replacement, they can visit their council or contact the TEC and request a supplementary postal ballot pack.

  • Return of Postal Votes

    Electors have around three weeks (including three weekends) to complete their ballot paper and return it so that it can be included in the count.

    To have their vote counted electors must:

    • mark their preferences on the ballot paper;
    • place the completed ballot paper in the ballot paper envelope (the envelope that has the elector’s name printed on it) and seal it;
    • sign the ballot paper envelope in the box next to the elector’s name;
    • place the ballot paper envelope in the reply paid envelope and seal it; and
    • put the reply paid envelope in the post (no stamp required) so that it reaches the returning officer before the close of polling.

    If electors can’t get it in the post in time, they can drop it in to the relevant council or the office of the returning officer before the 10am deadline.

• After Polling  

  • Close of the Poll

    Australia Post sort all returned postal votes by council before delivering them to the returning officers.

    To ensure that each elector only votes once, the elector’s roll number on each returned postal vote is entered into a database. Checks are undertaken to identify any duplicate roll numbers.

    Following the close of the poll, the final returned postal votes are included in the database and checked before any declaration envelopes can be opened.

    • removing ballot papers from envelopes for counting; and
    • counting first preference votes.

  • Removing ballot papers from envelopes

    The process of removing ballot papers involves:

    • Checking signatures and removing the declaration flap;
    • Opening the declaration envelope;
    • Removing the ballot paper from the declaration envelope;
    • Unfolding the ballot papers; and
    • Separating the ballot papers for the individual elections.

  • Counting the votes

      

    Looking for a detailed explanation of Hare-Clark? Read more (will open in a new tab).

    Or enjoy this animation - a light-hearted look at the Hare-Clark electoral system, created for the recent State Election.

  • The final elements of the elections

    The elections for a council conclude when the returning officer issues the Certificate of Election. The Certificate of Election is the formal notice of all elected candidates for that council. The Certificates of Election will be published once scrutinies for all councils have been completed.

    Once the Certificate of Election has been issued, all candidates have 45 days to lodge an electoral advertising return with the Electoral Commission.