Local Government Elections

Local Government ordinary elections are held on the third Saturday in October every two years.

Elected Members are elected for terms of four years in Western Australia. Elections are held every two years for half of the council, and candidates are elected using the first-past-the-post voting system. If a vacancy occurs within a term, an extraordinary election is held. See Our Councillors page for current terms.

Upcoming Election

A Bill to amend the Local Government Act 1995 has recently been introduced into Parliament. One of the amendments is to decree the reduction in Councillor numbers, where local governments with a population of up to 5000 will have between 5 - 7 Councillors (including the president). The Shire of Williams currently has 9 Councillors.

WHAT DOES THIS MEAN?

In the upcoming election, all 9 council positions will be declared vacant. Only 7 council positions will be up for re-election.

If you have ever thought of running for Council,

Now is the time.

In October, there will be 7 vacancies for Council.

Nominating for Council

If you are contemplating nominating for Council you are encouraged to contact the Chief Executive Officer to arrange a personal briefing on matters including the structure of Local Government, the role of an elected member - responsibilities, accountability, rights, remuneration and how to become a councillor.

Nominations for the 2023 elections will open 31st August to 7th September 2023

To be eligible to nominate you must be:

18 years of age or older;
an elector of the district;
an Australian citizen.

For further Information contact the Returning Officer, Bob Little on 0487 313 258 or email LGro_Williams@elections.wa.gov.au

Nominations received are:

Standing for Council

Stand for Council - It's rewarding!

If you want to make a difference in your community and have a say in local decision-making, consider standing for election as a local government councillor for the Shire of Williams

A councillor’s role is to: · represent the interests of electors, ratepayers and residents; · provide leadership and guidance to the community; · facilitate communication between the community and the council and vice versa; and participate in decision-making processes at meetings.

How do I check if I’m enrolled?

To check that you are correctly enrolled for your current address on the state roll, visit the Western Australian Electoral Commission website.

Enrolling to Vote

Elections are held every 2 years. Council usually holds in-person elections.

To be eligible to vote in local government elections, you need to be either a resident, an eligible non-resident owner or non-resident occupier of rateable property in the Shire of Williams or a nominee of a body corporate that owns or occupies rateable property in the district or ward. You must also be correctly enrolled to vote in State or Commonwealth elections and be at least 18 years of age on election day.

1. Residents:

A person who lives at an address in the Shire of Williams and is correctly enrolled on the State roll for that address is a resident of the district and automatically enrolled to vote in the district. To check that your enrolment is up to date, contact the WA Electoral Commission or phone 13 63 06. Enrolment forms may be obtained from the Williams Shire Office, any Post Office or from the WA Electoral Commission.

2. Non-resident owners and non-resident occupiers of rateable property:

Non-resident owners and non-resident occupiers of rateable property are not automatically enrolled. Non-residents who wish to vote in local government elections, or corporate bodies who wish to nominate people as nominees, should apply to the Chief Executive Officer.

Enrolment Eligibility Claim forms are available from the Shire Office.
Post or deliver your completed Enrolment Eligibility forms to: Shire of Williams, PO Box 96, WILLIAMS, WA, 6391

Further Information:

Available from the Department of Local Government or contact the Shire CEO on (08) 9885 1005, or ceo@williams.wa.gov.au .

Elections are held in October every two years, with members elected for a 4 year term. The Western Australian Electoral Commission (WAEC) conducts the election.

Candidates wishing to find out more about Local Government elections, and nominate themselves as a candidate, will find the information for candidates on the WAEC’s website very informative and easy to follow.

Information about becoming a Councillor is available of the Department for Local Government Sport & Cultural Industries’ website. At this website there are also a number of easily downloadable Fact Sheets to help you understand the role. Click Here

Welcome to the Shire of Williams