POSITIVE RESPONSE TO LOCAL GOVERNMENT ELECTIONS

Electors across the State have responded positively to the October 17th local government elections with the Western Australian Electoral Commission's processing centre at Fremantle now receiving an average of 38,000 postal votes per day.

By the morning of Monday 5th October, nearly 190,000 postal votes had arrived at the processing centre from electors in the Commission's 59 client councils.

The returned envelopes and their contents are rigorously checked and then separated at the centre and the ballot papers placed in sealed ballot boxes to be returned to the respective Returning Officers in readiness for the count on Saturday 17th after 6.00pm.

To date some standout councils were the City of Bunbury where 5230 envelopes (or 24.8%) of 21,054 packages issued have been returned; City of Wanneroo South Ward 5657 returns (19.35%) of 29,241; Shire of Gingin Lancelin Ward that has a current return rate of 45.04% (363 returns from 806 packages issued) and Shire of Ravensthorpe Hopetoun Ward with a return rate of 41.5% (198 returns from 477 packs).

Commenting on progress WA Electoral Commissioner Warwick Gately said that the election material printing, packaging and distribution process has gone well and the early return of so many postal votes was encouraging.

"My imperative was to accurately print, package and distribute throughout the State over 1.1 million postal voting packs – complete with a voting guide, ballot paper for the election of councillors and/or mayor, profiles of all local candidates, elector certificate, and reply paid envelope – in just over two weeks, and this has been accomplished, which is a significant achievement for the Commission and its service providers," he said.

"The printing and distribution schedule was only completed early last week and the receipt of some 190,000 votes to date is a good start to these important elections."

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POSTAL VOTING PACKS BEING DELIVERED THIS WEEK

This week many households throughout the State will receive postal voting packages for the October local government elections.

The Commission estimates that by next week over one million packages will have been delivered to electors in the 59 client councils that opted for the Commission to conduct their postal voting - representing over 90% of electors eligible to vote on October 17th.

Electors should keep an eye out for the postal voting pack in their letterbox. If you have not received a pack by Thursday 1st October 2009, or have other questions about postal voting, call the Commission's Call Centre on 1300 661 136.

The postal pack should contain:

• A voting guide in a number of languages
• A ballot paper for the election of councillors
• A ballot paper for the election of Mayor (if applicable)
• Profiles of the local candidates; this being a tear-off page attached to the ballot paper
• An elector certificate in the form of an envelope that must be signed and into which the completed ballot paper should be inserted
• A reply paid envelope in which to mail the certificate, including the ballot paper, back to the Returning Officer

The ballot paper needs to be completed and returned by 6pm, Saturday 17th October to be included in the count.

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LOCAL GOVERNMENT ELECTION POSTAL VOTING PACKS IN THE MAIL NEXT WEEK

The October 17th local government elections enter their next major phase on Monday 21st September when the Western Australian Electoral Commission begins the distribution of over one million postal voting packages to electors across the State.

Households in fifty-nine local authorities from Albany to Ashburton, including some large councils in the Perth metropolitan area, and representing over 90% of electors eligible to vote in these elections, will start receiving their postal voting packages from next week.

It is planned that from Monday 21st the Commission will mail packages to electors in country areas of WA, and commencing Tuesday 22nd to the inner and outer metropolitan areas.

The postal pack contains a voting guide in a number of languages, a ballot paper with candidates' profiles attached, an elector certificate in the form of an envelope that must be signed and into which the completed ballot paper should be inserted, and a reply paid envelope in which to mail the ballot paper and certificate back to the Returning Officer.

In the package electors will notice a new initiative trialled with great success by the Commission earlier this year, in that the candidate profiles are now attached to the ballot paper. This will assist electors to readily assess the candidates and then cast their vote on the ballot paper while able to read the candidates' profiles alongside. It is then simply a matter of tearing off the ballot paper, inserting it in the elector certificate envelope, signing the elector certificate and placing it in the reply paid envelope.

That envelope needs to be returned by 6pm, Saturday 17th October to be included in the count.

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STRONG FIELD OF CANDIDATES TO CONTEST 2009 LOCAL GOVERNMENT ELECTIONS

When nominations closed on September 10th for the 2009 local government elections at the Western Australian Electoral Commission's 71 client councils, 661 civic-minded citizens had put up their hand for the 373 vacancies across the State.

The numbers show there are 270 contested vacancies, 99 positions unopposed, and 4 vacancies unfilled.

Country councils that should see some of the closer contests include Busselton where 16 candidates have nominated for seven vacancies in the district; Broome district where there are 14 nominations for four councillor vacancies; Kalgoorlie-Boulder where 13 candidates are vying for six positions; and Coorow where eight nominations were received for the four vacancies in the district.

In the metropolitan area, six candidates are contesting the Mayoral vacancy at the City of Fremantle, City of Perth has eight nominees for its four vacancies, Gosnells district has 12 candidates for six vacancies, and Wanneroo Council's Central and South wards have six nominees apiece for the two vacancies in each ward.

Also of interest is that for the first time in 14 years Peppermint Grove will have a contested election with six nominations received for the four vacancies in the district – the last contested election being in 1995 when there were two vacancies and three candidates.

In nearby Cottesloe there is only one contested ward (Central), with the other five councillor vacancies being uncontested.

The names of all nominating candidates can be seen here

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COMMISSION TO CONDUCT BALLOTS TO FILL 373 VACANCIES AT LOCAL GOVERNMENT ELECTIONS

The 17th October local government elections will see the Western Australian Electoral Commission conduct ballots to fill 373 vacancies at 71 client councils across the State.

Nominations to fill those 373 positions opened on Thursday 3rd September and advertisements detailing the vacancies on each local council and where and when nominations would be taken appeared in the metropolitan, local and regional press that week.

WA Electoral Commissioner Warwick Gately appealed to the public have a say in how their local community is run by turning out to vote on 17th October or by nominating as a candidate for their local council.

"In Australia's three tiers of government it is local government that potentially has the most impact on peoples' everyday life with councils making decisions that affect the community where they live and indeed how they live," he said.

"It too is the one area of government where the average individual citizen having been elected to council can have a decisive voice on local issues and make a difference.

"Therefore I urge all citizens to be part of the process that determines how their community progresses in the coming years and have their say by voting on 17th October or by nominating for council if they really want to make a difference in their community.

"Such an opportunity should not be missed as it will not be available again for at least another two years."

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ROLL FOR LOCAL GOVERNMENT ELECTIONS CLOSES NEXT WEEK

Whilst the October 17th local government elections may be some two months away, the roll for those elections closes in just over a week (5.00pm, 28th August).and Electoral Commissioner Warwick Gately is urging the State's 1.3 million eligible local government electors to ensure they can have a say in how their local community is run.

"Your local council makes decisions that affect where you live and how you live, and soon your vote will decide who sits on that council," said Mr Gately. "I urge you all to ensure now that your details are up to date and that you can be part of the process that determines how your community progresses over the next few years.

Following the close of the electoral roll on Friday 28th August, candidate nominations will open on Thursday 3rd September and close a week later at 4:00 pm Thursday 10th September.

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HALF OF WA COUNCILS SIGN UP WITH COMMISSION FOR LOCAL GOVERNMENT ELECTIONS

Just over half of Western Australia's 139 local authorities have opted for the WA Electoral Commission to conduct their local council elections on Saturday October 17th. Seventy-one local authorities, 28 in the metropolitan area and 43 from regional WA, representing over 90% of electors eligible to vote in these elections, have committed to the Commission to conduct their postal or in-person voting for them.

The Commission will conduct 69 postal elections from Esperance to Ashburton, including some populous councils in the metropolitan area, and in-person elections in Broome and Halls Creek.

The numbers are indicative of the continuing confidence local governments have in the efficiency and cost-effectiveness of the electoral services provided by the Commission and an affirmation that postal voting is a proven, secure and convenient means of voting.

The number of councils using the Commission's services in local government elections has risen steadily from 50 in 2005 and 65 in 2007 to 71 for the forthcoming elections, and means that the Commission now provides electoral services to the majority of local government electors in Western Australia.

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Page Last Updated: 05 October 2009, 11:30 AM.