Elections & Voting

 

Why you should Vote

You may not realise it but many of the services and facilities available in your community are provided by your Council.

By law, Council must provide certain services however many of the services are by choice, determined by the needs of the community.

Some key services include:

• Local Roads
• Recycling and Waste Management
• Immunisation
• Library Services - including mobile Library, computer facilites and internet access
• Recreation and sport facilities - including ovals, picnic areas, playgrounds, skate parks and bike tracks

The next General Council Election will be held in November 2014. The voters roll for that Election will close on a date to be determined by the State Electoral Commissioner and must not be less than 13 weeks before polling day.

Changes to the Council Voters Roll

Recent changes to the Local Government (Elections) Act 1999 mean that as at 1 January of every election year, all landlords, business lessees and resident non-Australian citizens will be removed from the Council voters roll (with the exception of City of Adelaide) and MUST re-enrol to be able to vote.

To ensure you receive ballot papers for the next Council elections in November 2010 you must enrol.

Are you eligible to Enrol to Vote? 

If you are already on the State Electoral roll (in this Council area) to vote in State Elections you will automatically be included on the Council voters roll and will receive ballot papers. (You do not need to enrol again).

Provisional Voters , If you are 17 years of age enrolled and as a provisional voter on the State Electoral Roll and turn 18 by close of voting you are entitled to vote and will receive ballot papers. 

You may be eligible to vote in Council elections if you are:

Of or above 18 years of age. 

A resident at your current address for one month and are not on the State Electoral Roll.

A sole owner / occupier of rateable property.

Not an Australia Citizen, but you have been a resident at your current address for one month.

A landlord for rateable property.

An organisation / business owner or occupier of rateable property, or

A group of owners or occupiers of rateable property.

 Organisations, Business Owners or Occupiers

Organisations, business owners or occupiers now need to nominate a designated person to vote on their behalf who is a natural person, of or above 18 years of age.

Voting Entitlements

Electors can only vote once for an area election ( i.e for a Mayor or Area Councillors) and once in a Ward election ( i.e for Ward Councillors). 

Application Forms  

For further information or to receive a copy of an enrolment form, contact the Council on phone: 08 8721 0444. email: info@dcgrant.sa.gov.au, Visit us at: 324 Commercial Street West, Mount Gambier.

If you are in any doubt about your eligibility to vote, contact Council before the voters roll closes on a date to be determined by the State Electoral Commission.

If you have recently taken up residence or moved house within the Council area you must notify the Electoral Commission of your new address, by either completing a change of address form at any Post Office, contacting the Electoral Office or visit http://www.aec.gov.au/. This action will automatically ensure your enrolment on the Council's Voters Roll.

 

Local Government Elections: Dates to Remember!

• Friday 7 November 2014 - voting closes at 5pm.
• Saturday 8 November 2014 - scrutiny and count of votes.

 A Supplementary Council Election may be held at any time when a vacancy occurs due to the resignation or death of an Elected Member. The date of the Election and the close of the voters roll is determined by the Returning Officer and is advertised in the local newspaper 'The Border Watch'.