Elections

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

Councillors are elected for four year terms, with half of the Councillors’ terms concluding at each biennial election.

The City's elections are generally conducted as postal elections by the Western Australian Electoral Commission (WAEC). The WAEC appoints a Returning Officer who oversees the election, which includes taking candidate nominations and supervising the count on election night.

Election packages are posted to all electors on the City of Busselton roll approximately three weeks before Election Day. Every person enrolled on the electoral roll will be issued a ballot by mail and invited to complete the ballot and return it to the City by 6pm on Election Day.

The count commences at 6pm that same day and the results are normally available later that evening.

The 2017 City of Busselton Elections were held on Saturday, 21 October. The results were as follows:

TAYLOR, Jenny	2681
KAIGG, Valerie	1890
ERICKSON, Kailla	1732
BARRETT-LENNARD, Jo	2371
LOUD, Lorrae	2732
HICK, Kelly	3089
O'CONNELL, Luke	1658
BOSHAMMER, Nerillee	2182
BEST, Terry	2778
GREEN, A. (Jenny)	1992
MILES, Lyndon	2853
BENNETT, Rob	3018
HENLEY, Grant	4738

The 2019 election is scheduled for Saturday 19 October. Nominations open on 5 September 2019. More information in relation to the 2019 election process will be provided closer to this date.

Electoral Rolls

The roll for an election consists of:

The Residents Roll

The Residents Roll is maintained by the Western Australian Electoral Commission. People who reside in the City of Busselton and are enrolled on the State Electoral Roll for the City of Busselton will automatically appear on the roll to vote in Local Government Elections.

The Non-resident Owners and Occupiers Roll

The Owners and Occupiers Roll is maintained by the City of Busselton and is for those individuals who do not appear on the City of Busselton Residents Roll, but own a rateable property located in the City of Busselton or are nominated by a Body Corporate that owns or occupies rateable property in the City of Busselton. To be eligible, your name must be on the State or Commonwealth Electoral Roll for a district other than the City of Busselton.

Please note that residents will only be recorded on one of the above Rolls, not both.

Voter Information

In order to vote in council elections, you must be enrolled on either the State electoral roll (Residents Roll) or the City of Busselton Non-resident Owners and Occupiers Roll.

If you are not already on the State Electoral Roll and meet the eligibility criteria, or if you have changed address recently, or turned 18, you must complete an enrolment form which are available from all post offices, all Australian Electoral Commission Offices or the Western Australian Electoral Commission website: https://www.elections.wa.gov.au/enrol/enrol-vote

Checking your enrolment

Persons wishing to check whether they are enrolled on the State Roll for the City of Busselton can do so by visiting the Western Australian Electoral Commission website:  https://www.elections.wa.gov.au/onlineEnrolmentSystem

How to register to vote

Residents who are currently on the State Roll for a property within the City of Busselton are automatically enrolled for the Council election.

To appear on the Owner and Occupiers roll you must complete the enrolment eligibility claim form (Form 2) which is provided below.

Previous applications from owners of rateable property will remain valid for all ordinary elections unless there is a change in their eligibility for example, they cease to own the property to which their enrolment relates.

The Enrolment Eligibility Claim (Form 2) is provided below for:

• Individuals claiming eligibility as an Owner or Occupier of a rateable property within the City of Busselton

• Individuals claiming eligibility where there are more than 2 Owners or Occupiers of a rateable property within the City of Busselton

• A Body Corporate Claiming Eligibility for their nominees as an Owner or Occupier of a rateable property within the City of Busselton