Local Government elections will be held across Victoria in October 2024 via postal vote.
Candidate Information Sessions
Victorian Electoral Commission
The Victorian Electoral Commission will conduct a candidate information session prior to the call for nominations. Further information will be available closer to the election.
Municipal Association of Victoria
The Municipal Association of Victoria will host community and candidate information sessions. Full details are available here: Stand for Council | MAV website.
What participants will learn.
- The role and purpose of local government;
- Details of the Local Government Act 2020;
- Roles, responsibilities and expectations of a councillor;
- The experience of being a councillor; and,
- The electoral process and campaigning including key dates and information provided by the Victorian Electoral Commission.
Mandatory Candidate Training
Under the Local Government Act 2020, candidates will have to undertake mandatory candidate training to consider standing for council which will help candidates understand what is involved in becoming a councillor.
Candidates must complete the Candidate Training course to be eligible to nominate with the Victorian Electoral Commission. This requirement applies to all serving or former councillors intending to nominate.
Further information will be available from Local Government Victoria closer to the election.
Alpine Shire Council has seven councillors elected for a four-year term to represent the Alpine Shire community.
The election will be run by the Victorian Electoral Commission (VEC). The VEC will distribute voting material to residents.
Information for Voters
Enrolling as a ratepayer in Alpine Shire
In a Victorian local council election there are two types of voters:
- State-enrolled
- Council-enrolled.
You have one vote in Alpine Shire. If you are a state-enrolled voter, that is the enrolment you use to vote.
State-enrolled voters
You must enrol and vote if you:
- are 18 years or older
- are an Australian citizen
- have lived at your address in Alpine Shire for longer than one month.
For more information visit the VEC website.
Council-enrolled voters (ratepayers)
Some ratepayers can apply to become council-enrolled voters in Alpine Shire if they are:
- a property owner, occupier or represent a corporation
- 18 or older
- not a State-enrolled voter within the Alpine Shire area.
These are known as council-enrolled voters. The rules for council-enrolled voters have changed ahead of the 2024 council elections. These changes are explained below.
Owner ratepayers
You can apply to enrol in Alpine Shire if you:
- own property and pay rates in the council area
- are 18 or older
- are not a state-enrolled voter who lives in Alpine Shire.
This includes:
- Australian citizens who own a property in Alpine Shire but do not live in the area (for example an investment or a holiday home)
- non-citizens over 18 who own a property and live in Alpine Shire.
Up to two ratepayers can apply to enrol per property, but each person only gets one vote.
Occupier ratepayers
You can apply to enrol in Alpine Shire if you:
- pay rates for a property that you occupy but do not own
- are 18 or older
- are not a state-enrolled voter.
Up to two people per property can apply to enrol, but each person only gets one vote.
Corporations
You can apply to enrol to vote on behalf of a corporation if you:
- are a director or company secretary of a corporation that pays rates (either as an owner or an occupier) in the council area
- have consented to being appointed as the corporation’s representative
- are not already a state-enrolled voter or council-enrolled voter for the same council.
Only one person can apply to enrol as the corporation’s representative.
If you meet the criteria
If you meet any of these criteria, you can contact us on 03 5755 0555 or enrol@alpineshire.vic.gov.au to apply to enrol.
Once you are enrolled, you must vote for the October 2024 elections and onwards. If you don’t vote, you may get a fine.
Resigning your enrolment
If you don’t want to vote for that property anymore, you can apply to resign your enrolment.
Expiry of enrolment
Occupier ratepayers’ and corporations’ enrolment expires before the next local government general election.
If you want to continue to vote, you must apply to enrol again before the next local council general election (2028).
Alpine Shire Council will send you an invitation when it is time to renew your enrolment. Owner ratepayers’ enrolment does not expire, but they can apply to resign their enrolment.
More information
To apply to become or check if you are a council enrolled voter in Alpine Shire, contact us on 03 5755 0555. For information about Victorian elections, visit the VEC website.
Council by-elections
By-elections before October 2024
If you were a council-enrolled voter in Alpine Shire at the 2020 local council general elections and your circumstances haven’t changed, you will be automatically enrolled for any by-elections that take place before October 2024. It is not compulsory for you to vote.
If you weren’t a council-enrolled voter in Alpine Shire at the 2020 local council general elections, or your circumstances have changed, you can apply to enrol at any by-elections that take place before October 2024. It is not compulsory for you to vote.
If you want to vote in the next local council general election in October 2024, you will need to apply to enrol again.
By-elections after October 2024
If you apply to enrol for the local council elections in 2024, you will remain enrolled for any council by-elections up until 2028. It will be compulsory for you to vote.
Council election candidates
If you are on the council roll you can nominate as a candidate for Alpine Shire Council.
You can only nominate in one council.
Examples of council-enrolled nominations
- Sarah lives in Council A. In 2023 she purchased an apartment in Ward 1 of Council B that she rents out to tenants. Sarah wants to nominate for election in Ward 1 of Council B. She contacts Council B in April to be added to the council’s voters list and is successfully enrolled. She nominates to be a candidate for the October local council elections in Council B. She cannot nominate for Council A at the same time. Sarah is enrolled as an owner ratepayer in Council B. Thuy lives in Council B and rents a shopfront in Council C that she runs a clothing store from. Thuy's lease requires her to pay rates to the council.
- Thuy has also been a councillor in Council C for the past 3 years. She wants to nominate for election again. Thuy must contact Council C to re-enrol. Thuy is re-enrolled with Council C as an occupier ratepayer. Reggie is the director of a company, Peach Industry Enterprises, that owns the building it operates out of in Council D. The company’s board has some ideas about how things in Council D could be improved for the local business community. The board decides that Reggie is the best person to be enrolled on behalf of the company.
- Reggie calls Council D to ask about council enrolment. Council D sends him the application form to become a corporate representative. However, Reggie lives in Council D, so he is on the state roll for this council already. A person can only be enrolled once for a council, so his application to be the corporate representative is denied. The board looks for another person to be its representative. Charlie, the company secretary, does not live in Council D. Charlie fills in the form, and is enrolled as the corporate representative in Council D for Peach Industry Enterprises. Charlie then nominates to be a councillor in October 2024.
What has changed
Voters who were previously on the council roll will need to re-enrol to nominate in that council.
If you meet the council enrolment criteria, contact the council directly to apply. Voting is now compulsory for everyone on the council roll, including enrolled owner ratepayers, occupier ratepayers, and corporate representatives.
If you do not vote in all councils you are enrolled in, you may get a fine.
Even if you are on the council roll, all other council nomination requirements still apply.
Read more about these eligibility requirements on the Becoming a local council candidate page.
