Be Heard
The Victorian Electoral Commission (VEC) delivers the Be Heard program which offers free online or in-person voter education sessions about elections to communities including:
- People with disabilities (especially people with intellectual disabilities)
- People experiencing homelessness
- People from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander backgrounds
- People from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds
- Young people from all communities.
The sessions are delivered by people who have a lived experience or are part of these communities.
The ‘Be Heard’ information sessions cover:
- Who can vote
- How to fill out your ballot paper
- Where to get help, if you need it
- How democracy works
Book a ‘Be Heard’ information session:
Enrolment to Vote
Visit Enrolling for local council elections.
Method of Voting
The voting system for all Victorian local councils is set by the Minister for Local Government.
Eligibility to Vote
To be eligible to vote there are two types of voters:
- State-enrolled
- Council-enrolled
You have one vote in East Gippsland Shire Council. 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 for longer than one month.
For more information, visit Enrolling for local council elections.
Council-Enrolled Voters
Some ratepayers can apply to become council-enrolled voters in East Gippsland Shire Council if they are:
- A property owner, occupier or represent a corporation;
- 18 years or older; and
- Not a State-enrolled voter within the East Gippsland Shire Council area.
These are known as Council-enrolled voters.
The rules for Council-enrolled voters changed ahead of the 2024 council elections. These changes are explained below.
Owner Ratepayers
You can apply to enrol in East Gippsland Shire Council if you:
- Own property and pay rates in the council area;
- Are 18 years or older; and
- Are not a state-enrolled voter who lives in East Gippsland Shire Council.
This includes:
- Australian citizens who own a property in East Gippsland Shire Council but do not live in the area (for example an investment or a holiday home); and
- non-citizens over 18 years old who own a property and live in East Gippsland Shire Council.
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 East Gippsland Shire Council if you:
- Pay rates for a property that you occupy but do not own;
- Are 18 years or older; and
- 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; and
- 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) 5153 9500 to apply to enrol.
Once you are enrolled, you must vote in elections. If you don’t vote, you may get a fine.
Resigning your Enrolment
If you don’t want to vote for a 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 Government General Election (2028).
East Gippsland Shire Council will send you an invitation when it is time to renew your enrolment.
Owner ratepayers’ enrolment does not expire, but owners can apply to resign their enrolment.
Silent Voters
If you enrol as a silent voter your enrolled address will not appear on the public voters’ roll. Some people choose to enrol this way as a safety measure.
If you want to enrol this way with Council you need to complete a separate Silent Voter Application Form. You will also need to provide a statutory declaration that explains why having your address on a voters' roll places or would place the personal safety of you or members of your family at risk.
If you are already a silent elector on the state electoral roll you will automatically be made a silent elector on the council roll if the VEC can identify and match your records.
To make sure your address is not shown, you will need to complete and submit a Silent Voter Application Form.
There is also more information about council enrolment on the VEC website at Enrolling for local council elections.
