Information for voters
The City has previously appointed the Western Australian Electoral Commission to conduct its elections by postal vote. Postal voting enables electors to submit their vote before election day. The counting of votes commences at 6 pm on election day and once the counting of votes has been finalised the result will be announced by the Returning Officer.
The City of Perth extraordinary election is being held on Friday 18 October. If you have not received a voting package, please email election@cityofperth.wa.gov.au to find out how to get a replacement package.
If you have not posted your ballot paper package before Monday 14 October, please hand deliver your completed package to Council House before 6pm on Friday 18 October 2024 to ensure it is received on time. More information on the extraordinary election can be found here.
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Key dates
2024 Extraordinary Election
Thursday, 22 August 2024 at 5pm Close of applications to enrol to vote Friday, 18 October 2024 Election day
2025 Ordinary ElectionFriday, 22 August 2025 at 5pm Close of applications to enrol to vote Saturday, 18 October 2025 Election day -
Who can vote?Residents
All residents in a local government district who are enrolled on the State electoral roll are automatically enrolled on the corresponding local government roll.
Owners and Occupiers including Body Corporates
People who own or occupy property within a local government district, can apply to their local government to be included on the roll as an owner or occupier, as long as they are eligible electors. A body corporate may apply to have up to two eligible electors to be included on the owner and occupier roll. -
How do I check my enrolment or update my enrolment details?
Residents
You can update your state electoral enrolment through the WA Electoral Commission website.
To vote in the 2025 election you must be enrolled to vote by 22 August 2025 at 5pm, when enrolment closes.
To ensure you get your postal election package, please ensure your postal address is updated with the Western Australian Electoral Commission.
Non-Resident Owners and Occupiers
Non-resident owners remain on the roll until the property is sold, or if you are a Body Corporate nominee, you may be removed if the Body Corporate wishes to change its nominees.
Non-resident occupiers remain on the roll for 2 ordinary elections plus 6 months, or until your lease expires. If you are a Body Corporate nominee, you may also be removed if the Body Corporate wishes to change its nominees.
Contact the City at election@cityofperth.wa.gov.au to check if you are on the City of Perth Owners and Occupiers roll or to find out more on how to update or renew your enrolment details..
Business/Body Corporate Owners and Occupiers
You can email election@cityofperth.wa.gov.au to check your nominees or update the contact details of your existing nominees.
We encourage you to check your nominees a few months before the close of electoral rolls, to enable us to remove any nominees and assess new claims for alternative nominees.To change your nominees, the Body Corporate may provide a written request to withdraw a nomination to the City’s Chief Executive Officer.
The request is to be signed by one of the following officers of the Body Corporate:
• a director of the body corporate or other member of its governing body;
• the chief executive officer, or equivalent, of the body corporate;
• the secretary, or equivalent, of the body corporateYour existing nominees may also personally email election@cityofperth.wa.gov.au to remove themselves from the roll and new nominees may be considered immediately.
Please contact the Election Team at election@cityofperth.wa.gov.au if you have any further questions. -
How do I enrol?
Residents
Persons who are on the state electoral roll for an address within the City of Perth are automatically enrolled to vote in a City of Perth election.
You can update your state electoral enrolment through the Australian Electoral Commission website or the WA Electoral Commission website.
To vote in the 2025 election you must be enrolled to vote by 22 August 2025 at 5pm, when enrolment closes.
Non-Resident Property Owners
If you personally own rateable property in the City of Perth but do not reside in that property, you may be eligible to vote, provided you are enrolled to vote in a State or Federal election.
To apply to enrol as a non-resident owner, complete the Form 2A – Enrolment Eligibility Claim – Owner/Co-Owner.If you own your property jointly with two or more people, complete Form 2C – Enrolment Eligibility Claim – Nomination by Group of Owners/Occupiers.
Send all relevant forms and supporting information to:
City of Perth
27 St Georges Tce
Perth WA 6000or
info.city@cityofperth.wa.gov.au
The City will consider your claim, determine whether you are eligible and inform you of the outcome of your application in writing. You may be asked for additional information such as:- Proof of your ownership and/or rateability of your property
- Proof of your enrolment in a state or federal election
Providing evidence of your claim such as those matters listed above at the time of submitting your enrolment claim may allow for a more rapid assessment by the City.
To vote in the 2025 election you must be enrolled to vote by 22 August 2025 at 5pm, when enrolment closes.
Non-Resident Property Occupiers
If you occupy a property in the City of Perth, you may be eligible to vote provided you are already enrolled to vote in a State or Federal election.
From 1 January 2024, amendments to the Local Government Act and Elections Regulations set out new requirements an occupier must meet to be eligible to be enrolled to vote in Local Government Elections.
To apply to enrol as a non-resident occupier, you must submit a Form 2B – Enrolment Eligibility Claim – Occupier/Co-Occupier.
You must include a copy of your lease, tenancy agreement or other legal instrument and any additional supporting evidence to support your claim at the time of enrolment.
If you occupy your property jointly with two or more people or businesses/body corporates, you must also submit a Form 2C – Enrolment Eligibility Claim – Nomination by Group of Owners/Occupiers.To be eligible to vote you must:- 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 will occupy the property for at least the next three months;
- have quiet enjoyment (exclusive occupation) of your occupied property;
- provide proof that you are able to secure your occupied property from intruders;
- 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);
- provide proof that you pay the minimum amount of rent for the property ($10,000 for 100m2 or more; $100/m2 if less than 100m2 per annum); and
- be enrolled to vote in a State or Federal election outside of the City of Perth.
Send your completed form(s) and all supporting documents to:
City of Perth
27 St Georges Tce
Perth WA 6000
or
info.city@cityofperth.wa.gov.au
The City will consider your claim, determine whether you are eligible and inform you of the outcome of your application in writing.
To vote in the 2025 election you must be enrolled to vote by 22 August 2025 at 5pm, when enrolment closes.
Business/Body Corporate Property Owners
If your business/body corporate owns a property in the City of Perth, you may be eligible to nominate up to two people, who are not already enrolled to vote within the City of Perth, to vote on your business's/body corporate's behalf, provided they are enrolled to vote in a State or Federal election.
To nominate electors, complete all sections of:- Form 2A – Enrolment Eligibility Claim – Owner/Co-Owner; and
- Form 2D – Enrolment Eligibility Claim – Nomination by Body Corporate
If you own your property jointly with two or more people or businesses/body corporates, complete Form 2C – Enrolment Eligibility Claim – Nomination by Group of Owners/Occupiers.
Send all relevant forms and supporting information to:
City of Perth
27 St Georges Tce
Perth WA 6000or
info.city@cityofperth.wa.gov.au
The City will consider your claim, determine whether you are eligible and inform you of the outcome of your application in writing. You may be asked during this process for information such as:- proof of your business's/body corporate’s ownership and/or rateability of the property
- proof of your nominee’s enrolment in a state or federal election
- proof that your businesses/body corporates are registered with the relevant state or federal authority to give it legal standing as a body corporate
Providing evidence of your claim such as those matters listed above at the time of submitting your enrolment claim may allow for a more rapid assessment by the City.
To vote in the 2025 election your nominees must be enrolled to vote by 22 August 2025 at 5pm, when enrolment closes.
Business/Body Corporate Property Occupiers
If your business/body corporate occupies a property in the City of Perth, you may be eligible to nominate up to two people, who are not already enrolled to vote within the City of Perth, to vote on behalf of your businesses/body corporates, provided they are enrolled to vote in a State or Federal election.From 1 January 2024, amendments to the Local Government Act and Elections Regulations set out new requirements an occupier must meet to be eligible to be enrolled to vote in Local Government Elections.
To nominate 2 people to vote on behalf of your body corporate, you must submit a:
- Form 2B – Enrolment Eligibility Claim – Occupier/Co-Occupier, and
- Form 2D – Enrolment Eligibility Claim – Nomination by Body Corporate
with a copy of your lease, tenancy agreement or other legal instrument and any additional evidence to support your claim at the time of enrolment.
If you occupy your property jointly with two or more people or businesses/body corporates, you must also submit a Form 2C – Enrolment Eligibility Claim – Nomination by Group of Owners/Occupiers.
To be eligible to nominate two people to vote, body corporates must:
- 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;
- have quiet enjoyment (exclusive occupation) of your occupied property;
- provide proof that you are able to secure your occupied property from intruders;
- 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
- provide proof that you pay the minimum amount of rent for the property ($10,000 for 100m2 or more; $100/m2 if less than 100m2 per annum).
Send your completed forms and all supporting documents to:
City of Perth
27 St Georges Tce
Perth WA 6000or
info.city@cityofperth.wa.gov.au
The City will consider your claim, determine whether you are eligible and inform you of the outcome of your application in writing. You may be asked during this process for information such as:
- proof of your nominee’s enrolment in a state or federal election;
- proof that your business/body corporate is registered with the relevant state or federal authority to give it legal standing as a body corporate;
Providing evidence of your claim such as those matters listed above at the time of submitting your enrolment claim may allow for a more rapid assessment by the City.
To vote in the 2025 election your nominees must be enrolled to vote by 22 August 2025 at 5pm, when enrolment closes. -
Where can I vote?The election is conducted via postal voting and we encourage you to complete your package and return it via post it in the reply paid envelope. However following the delivery of ballot paper packages to electors, a ballot box will be available on the ground floor of Council House Monday to Friday 9am - 5pm and on election day from 8am - 6pm.
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How do I vote?
Electors will receive an election package containing ballot paper(s), candidate profiles, a declaration envelope and pre-paid return envelope, approximately three weeks before the election.
To vote, complete the ballot paper(s), place them in the declaration envelope and sign the envelope. Place the signed declaration envelope in the pre-paid envelope and post the envelope in the mail.Following the delivery of ballot paper packages to electors a ballot box will be on ground floor of Council House Monday to Friday 9am - 5pm and on election day from 8am - 6pm.
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I haven't received my ballot paper packageThe packages have been distributed by Australia Post. If you haven’t received your package, please email election@cityofperth.wa.gov.au to find out how to request a replacement package.
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I have made a mistake when filling out my ballot paperPlease email election@cityofperth.wa.gov.au to find out how to request a replacement package.
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What is the system for counting votes?Optional preferential voting (OPV) is the voting system for local government elections.
Information on Optional Preferential Voting can be found on the Department of Local Government Sports and Cultural Industries (DLGSC) website.
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Can I vote for the Lord Mayor directly?Yes, if you are an elector of the City of Perth. The next Lord Mayor election will be held on 16 October 2027.
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Does the City have wards?No.
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When will I receive the voting papers?
Approximately three weeks before election day.
Please visit the WA Electoral Commission website closer to election day for information on delivery dates.
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What do I do if I dont receive my ballot papers or my ballot papers are damaged?To request replacement ballot papers, please call the City's Election team on 08 9461 3930 or 08 9461 3187 or complete the application form and email it to election@cityofperth.wa.gov.au.