ABOUT COUNCIL ELECTIONS

Council elections are held every four years and all Councillors, Mayors and Deputy Mayors are elected for four-year terms.

Elections for Tasmania’s 29 Councils are conducted by full postal ballot. This means that voters do not attend a polling place to vote, like they do for State and Federal elections. Instead, information required to vote is sent directly to each voter’s address, however you must be enrolled to vote to participate in a Local Government Election.

The Tasmanian Electoral Commission is responsible for the supervision of Local Government elections. The Electoral Commission appoints returning officers to run the election.

WHO CAN VOTE IN LOCAL GOVERNMENT ELECTIONS?

If you are currently on the Electoral Roll for State and Federal Elections for your address in the Glamorgan Spring Bay Municipal area you are automatically on the Local Government Roll.

To check your enrolment on the Electoral Roll please visit the Australian Electoral Commission (AEC) website at www.aec.gov.au and click on the “Check Enrolment” button. An enrolment form can also be obtained from that website or by calling the AEC on 132 326 or from any post office.

You may also be eligible to enrol on the “General Manager’s Roll” if:

• you are a resident in the Glamorgan Spring Bay municipality, but not eligible for the State Electoral Roll (for example, because you are not an Australian Citizen), or
• you own or occupy land in a municipal area different from where you are enrolled on the State Electoral Roll, or
• you are the nominated representative of a corporate body which owns or occupies land in the municipal area.

DO I HAVE TO VOTE?

Recent amendments to the Local Government Act 1993 mean that voting in Local Government elections is now compulsory for all electors on the State roll.

However, voting at Local Government elections is not compulsory for electors on the General Manager’s Roll.

HOW TO ENROL FOR THE GENERAL MANAGER’S ELECTORAL ROLL

To apply to be on the General Manager’s Roll, you need to complete one of the following forms:

• To enrol a person who is not eligible to be enrolled on the Tasmanian House of Assembly electoral roll within this municipal area (including property owners/occupiers), please use the Enrolment Form (General Manager’s Roll – Individual)
• To nominate a person to vote on behalf of a corporate body, please use the Enrolment Form (General Manager’s Roll – Corporate)

Completed General Manager’s Enrolment Forms should be returned to Glamorgan Spring Bay Council via:

• Email: admin@freycinet.tas.gov.au
• Mail: Glamorgan Spring Bay Council, PO Box 6, Triabunna, Tasmania 7190