Local government elections will be held across Victoria on Saturday 24 October 2020. For the first time, voting will be conducted entirely by postal ballot across the State.

Voting is compulsory and ballot papers must be completed and returned by 6pm on Friday 23 October 2020.

Yarra is represented by 9 Councillors across 3 wards with 3 Councillors elected for each ward. If you are enrolled and eligible to vote, you will automatically be sent a ballot paper. Once you receive your ballot you can vote from the list of candidates for your ward. 

We encourage you to read the information below or visit the Council elections page on our website to find out more.

Who must vote in Council elections?

• Residents of Yarra who are Australian Citizens and are aged 18 years or over (on 24 October 2020) must vote in Yarra’s local government elections. This includes both renters and owner-occupiers. If you are listed in the State roll at your current address you are automatically enrolled.

Make sure you post your vote back in time – voting is compulsory and fines will be issued by the VEC to residents who are on the roll and don’t vote. 

Who else can vote in the Council elections?

• Property owners who are not on the State electoral roll and aged 18 years or over (on 24 October 2020) may also choose to vote in Yarra’s elections. It’s not compulsory for these property owners to vote but it is encouraged. You only have one voting entitlement for each Council you own property in - if you own multiple properties in Yarra you still only get one vote in Yarra.

Property owners who were registered to vote in the last Council elections are automatically enrolled. If you purchased a property in Yarra since the last elections in 2016, you can apply to Yarra City Council to be added to the Council electoral roll.

• Occupier-ratepayers (non-property owner but pay rates for a property in Yarra) aged 18 years or over (on 24 October 2020) can also choose to vote in Yarra’s elections. It’s encouraged but not compulsory to vote. If you wish to be added to the electoral roll you can apply to enrol by sending us a request via the contact details below.

• Company Directors and Secretaries, aged 18 years or over (on 24 October 2020), who have been appointed by a company that pays rates in Yarra may also vote in Yarra’s elections. Again, it’s encouraged but not compulsory to vote and if you wish to be added to the electoral roll you can apply with us.

How to enrol if you’re not already enrolled

If you’re a Yarra resident and Australian Citizen you can enrol or check or update your enrolment details on the VEC website.

If you’re a property owner, occupier ratepayer or company director/secretary you can be added to the Council electoral roll for Yarra by sending us a request via the contact details below

Key dates for enrolling

The Electoral Roll will close at 4pm on Friday 28 August.

Make sure you have checked and updated your details before this date. Any requests to Yarra City Council from non-residents must also be received before this date.

When will the postal ballots be mailed out?

Ballot packs will be mailed out to your address (as listed on the electoral roll) between Tuesday 6 October and Thursday 8 October. You have approximately two weeks to fill out the ballot paper and return your vote in the reply-paid envelope. 

When voting must be completed by

Voting will close the day before the Election Day. This means that your ballot must be either received by the Returning Officer or in the mail by 6pm on Friday 23 October.

Contact

Contact the VEC directly if you are a Yarra resident and would like to enrol or update your details.

If you are not eligible to be on the State electoral roll and you want to apply to be added to the Council electoral roll please contact us. You can:

• Email [email protected]
• Call: 9205 5555 and ask to speak to our Rates team.
• Mail: Yarra City Council, PO Box 168 Richmond VIC 3121

You can find further information about the 2020 Local Government Elections on the Council elections page on our website.