Voting in Elections

To be eligible to vote in Local Government elections you must be enrolled on either the State electoral roll (Residents Roll) or the Shire of Williams’ Non-resident Owners and Occupiers Roll.

Optional Preferential Voting

In 2023, the State Government introduced Optional Preferential Voting.

Preferential voting is the same method used in state and federal elections. Optional preferential voting means you are not required to provide all preferences in casting your vote.

As a result, the elected candidate is the most preferred candidate of a majority of voters.

Residents Roll

The Resident's Roll is maintained by the Western Australian Electoral Commission. People who live in the Shire of Williams and are enrolled on the State electoral roll will automatically be placed on this roll. To enrol or check your enrolment, visit the WAEC website.

Non-Resident Owners and Occupiers Roll

If you own a property in the Shire of Williams but do not live here or if you operate a business in the Shire of Williams, you may be eligible to enrol on the Non-Resident Owners and Occupiers Roll.

This roll is maintained by the Shire of Williams under section 4.30 of the Local Government Act 1995. Enrolment eligibility claim forms are available from the Shire office.

Eligibility to vote as an owner or occupier relies generally on three things:

1. the claimant or their nominee is eligible to vote in a state or federal election;
2. the claimant is the owner or occupier of the property, as per the definitions and requirements in the Local Government Act 1995 and the Local Government (Elections) Regulations 1997; and
3. the property that a claim is made against is rateable.

To make a claim of occupation, the claimant must have a written lease, tenancy agreement or other legal instruction and have held a right of occupation for 12 months prior to making the claim. The right of occupation must also last for at least three months following the claim.

Joint Owners and Occupiers and Corporations

If a rateable property is owned or occupied by more than two people, majority of the owners/occupiers may nominate two persons from amongst themselves who are on either the State or Commonwealth Electoral Roll, to enrol as owner/occupier electors.

A body corporate that owns or occupies rateable property may nominate two people who are on either the State or Commonwealth Electoral Roll to enrol as owner/occupier electors.

Enrolment Duration

Occupiers remain on the roll for a period of two elections after their enrolment is accepted and then are taken off the roll six months after the second election per section 4.33 of the Local Government Act 1995. Occupiers must re-enrol if they wish to continue as electors. Owners of a rateable property remain on the roll for the duration of the ownership, subject to other eligibility criteria.