Local Government Elections

Who can vote?

You must be a resident, non-resident owner or non-resident occupier of a rateable property within the Shire of Esperance, and on the electoral roll.

How many wards are within the Shire of Esperance?

There are two wards – Town and Rural.

The ward boundaries which came into effect at the 2023 local government election are available here, with the darker green section being those properties which moved to the Rural Ward.

How do I know which ward I am in?

You will find this information on your rate notice, you can search for it on the WAEC website or call the Shire.

How do I know if I am enrolled to vote?

Residents who are enrolled on the WA State electoral roll for an address within the Shire’s boundaries are automatically enrolled on the local government roll. Non-resident owners and non-resident occupiers of rateable property are not automatically enrolled. Enrolments can be checked on the WA Electoral Commission website.

How do I vote?

Postal voting packages are sent to all eligible electors in the Shire of Esperance by the WA Electoral Commission. They contain information about candidates, ballot papers, a reply paid envelope and an information brochure on how to vote. The ballot papers are sent to the Returning Officer and are counted at the Shire offices on Election Day.

Is it compulsory to vote?

No.

Are there any absentee votes?

No, because a postal voting system is used. Absentee Votes are only provided for by Local Governments which operate on a voting-in-person election.

What is optional preferential voting?

Optional preferential voting means that to be elected you need to either achieve a majority of votes in the count for a single vacancy, or a quota of votes where there is more than one vacancy to be filled. As a result, the candidates elected are more representative of the majority of voters.

Full preferential voting requires ballots to be completed by numbering each candidate with one being the top preference. Optional preferential voting does not require all boxes to be marked for the vote to be valid, for example if there are three candidates and you choose to only mark two, your vote will still be counted.

Can I vote for the Shire President?

Yes, from 2023 the Shire President position will be popularly elected, meaning that all electors in the district will vote for their preferred candidate. The Shire President position will have a term of four years, with a new President being elected at every second election cycle.

Can a candidate run for both President and Councillor positions?

Yes, the Shire President election will be counted first and any unsuccessful presidential candidates will then have a chance to become a Councillor, if they have also nominated in one of the Ward elections.

What happens if the candidate I voted for in a Ward election becomes President?

If the candidate you have marked as your first preference in the Town or Rural Ward elections is elected as Shire President, your vote will be included in the count for your next preferred candidate on the ballot.

Can I vote if I live outside the Shire of Esperance, but I own a property within the Shire of Esperance?

Yes – provided you claim enrolment by completing and returning a relevant Owner and Occupier Enrolment Form by the closing date.

NOTE: Once you have made a claim, you do not need to re-apply for future years unless your claim expires.

If a property is owned by a company, are Directors eligible to vote on the company's behalf?

Yes – provided the company, which owns or occupies rateable property within the electorate, nominates a director or other person to vote on its behalf. That person (or up to 2 persons nominated) must complete a relevant Owner and Occupier Enrolment Form to claim enrolment.

Do I have to be a ratepayer to vote at Council Elections?

No – anyone who is listed on the current State Electoral roll may vote at local government elections in the ward where their address is situated. If you are registered on the electoral roll in another local government district you are still eligible to vote so long as you are registered as an occupier of an Esperance property. In this case you are required to complete a relevant Owner and Occupier Enrolment Form.

How long is my enrolment on the Council's Owners & Occupiers Roll valid?

If you enrol as an owner of rateable property (this includes nominees of a body corporate which owns a property) then your enrolment remains valid for a long as you continue to own the property. If your property is sold you will automatically be removed from the Owners and Occupiers Roll.

If you enrol as an occupier of rateable property, then your enrolment remains valid for two ordinary elections. You are then required to re-apply.

If I own more than one property, can I vote more than once?

That depends on whether you own or occupy rateable property in more than one ward. An “election” is deemed to be within a ward. The Shire of Esperance has two electoral wards – so will have two elections (unless a candidate within a ward is elected unopposed).

If you own or occupy more than one rateable property within one ward (Town or Rural) you are only eligible to vote once for that ward.

For further information, please call 08 9071 0603 or email corporatesupport@esperance.wa.gov.au.

Scenarios

• Mr Jones lives in Bunbury. He is on the State Electoral Roll for his address in Bunbury. He owns a property in Esperance and as he’s an Australian Citizen he can enrol to vote in the Shire of Esperance elections. He is also eligible to vote in City of Bunbury council elections (via the City of Bunbury’s District Roll).
• Mr Bloggs lives in the Shire of Esperance and owns two properties – one property in each ward. Mr Bloggs is on the State Electoral Roll for the address where he lives in the Town Ward. If he wishes to vote in the Rural Ward where he owns property, he can enrol – by submitting a relevant Owner and Occupier Enrolment Form.  At election time he will receive two election packages – one for each ward.
• Central Mining Ltd of Perth holds a large rateable mining tenement within the Shire of Esperance’s boundaries. Central Mining Ltd is able to nominate up to two persons who are Australian Citizens to vote on the company’s behalf. The company provides a covering letter to “Nominate” the person or persons, and each nominated person must complete a relevant Owner and Occupier Enrolment Form.
• There are four registered owners who co-own a property in the Town Ward of the Shire of Esperance. All owners live and are registered voters in the Rural Ward. They are eligible to nominate two co-owners to receive a Town Ward vote for the town property. The nomination must be signed by all or a majority of the co-owners.
• Mr & Mrs Green have a Super Fund (Greens Family Super Fund Pty Ltd) which is listed as the owner of several properties within both the Town and Rural wards. Mr & Mrs Green are registered in the Town Ward to vote and wish to apply for a Rural Ward vote. As the rural property is under the Greens Family Super Fund Pty Ltd (which only has the Greens as directors) they must nominate each other to be able to enrol for the Rural Ward vote.