Voting in the Council Election

To vote in the 2024 Council elections, you need to be enrolled on the voters roll.

There are two kinds of enrolment:

  • State enrolment, where residents are automatically on the roll via their State enrolment through the VEC
  • Council enrolment, where certain non-residents may apply directly to Council to be added to the voters roll.

Voting is compulsory for anyone on the voter's roll and if you do not vote, a fine may apply.

State enrolment

  • If you live in Whitehorse and are enrolled to vote in State elections at your current address, you are automatically enrolled to vote in Council elections. 
  • If you are an Australian citizen aged 18 years or over and you have lived at your current address in Whitehorse for at least one month, you will need to enrol with the Victorian Electoral Commission if you are not on the State electoral roll. 
  • You can apply, check and amend your State enrolment details on the VEC website at Check my enrolment.

Council enrolment

Changes to the law

  • It is now compulsory for Council-enrolled voters to vote at the October 2024 local council elections. If you are on the Council roll when it closes at 4pm on Friday 30 August 2024 you must vote, or you may receive a fine.
  • Previously, property owners who did not live in the area would automatically be enrolled to vote - now you must apply if you wish to vote in the 2024 election.

Who can enrol

Owner ratepayers

You can apply to enrol directly with Whitehorse City Council if you:

  • own property and pay rates in the Whitehorse municipality
  • are 18 or over
  • are not a state-enrolled voter who lives in the Whitehorse municipality (i.e. you must be a non-resident ratepayer)

Please note: a maximum of two owners or ratepayers can apply to enrol for any one property. Once you have enrolled as an owner ratepayer, you will remain so unless you resign your enrolment or sell your property.

Occupier ratepayers

This category is for those who rent premises where their lease requires them to pay the rates for the property. You can apply to enrol directly with Whitehorse City Council if you:

  • pay rates for a property that you occupy but do not own
  • are 18 or older
  • are not already a state-enrolled voter

If you apply to enrol as an occupier ratepayer for the 2024 Council election, you will remain enrolled until the next general Council election in 2028 and must also vote in any by-elections which may be held.  You will need to re-enrol to remain on the roll for each Council term.

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 Whitehorse municipality
  • have consented to being appointed as the corporation’s representative
  • are not already a state-enrolled voter or council-enrolled voter on the Whitehorse voters roll

If you apply to enrol on behalf of a corporation for the 2024 Council election, you will remain enrolled until the next general Council election in 2028 and must also vote in any by-elections which may be held.  You will need to re-enrol to remain on the roll for each Council term.

Forms

Forms must be signed and received by Council prior to the close of roll at 4pm on Friday 30 August 2024. Late applications will not be considered.

Completed forms can be submitted: