Elections and Electoral Roll
Local government ordinary elections are held on the third Saturday in October every two years.
The WA Electoral Commissioner is responsible for conducting all local government postal elections in Western Australia and can also conduct voting in person elections on request under the Local Government Act 1995. The WAEC conducted the 2023 election for the Shire of Plantagenet.
Councillors 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 an optional preferential voting system. If a vacancy occurs within a term, an extraordinary election is held.
2023 Election Results
View full election results here
2025 Election Information
Local government elections in Western Australia are scheduled for Saturday 18 October 2025. If an election is required (more candidates than positions) the Shire of Plantagenet will be holding a postal election. Election packages (ballots) will be sent out in late September/early October. Refer to the following for further information.
WA Electoral Commission website (Local government election notices, Learn more about becoming a local government candidate, Forms and Guides, 2025 local government webinars)
Department of Local Government website
WA Local Government Association website
Optional preferential voting
Local government elections in WA are conducted using optional preferential voting. It is similar to how voting is done in State and Federal elections.
Under the optional preferential voting system, voters number candidates in the order of their preference. You don’t have to number all the boxes if you don’t want to.
You have the choice to –
- vote for one candidate - by putting a 1 next to their name
- vote for some candidates - by numbering several candidates in the order of your preference
- vote for all candidates - in the order of your preference
Electoral Roll
Enrolling to Vote
You may be eligible to be enrolled to vote at the local government elections if you reside in or are an owner or occupier of rateable property in the Shire of Plantagenet.
Residents
You are automatically enrolled to vote if you are on the State Electoral Roll. If you are not already on the State Electoral Roll and meet the eligibility criteria, a claim for enrolment should be made to any Divisional Returning Officer of the Australian Electoral Commission and must be completed and reach a Divisional Returning Officer by the advised time and date. Click here to visit the WA Electoral Commission website to check your enrolment or download an enrolment form.
Non-Resident Owners/Occupiers
If you own or occupy property in the Shire, but do not reside in the Shire and are on the State or Commonwealth Electoral roll, you are eligible to enrol to vote. If you are not on the State or Commonwealth Electoral Roll and owner or occupy rateable property in the Shire of Plantagenet you may be eligible to enrol to vote. Please contact the Shire for details. Owners who were on the Shire of Plantagenet roll continue to retain that status until they cease to own the rateable properties to which the enrolment relates. Occupiers do not have continuous enrolment and should contact the Shire to confirm their enrolment status.
Joint Owners and Occupiers
If a rateable property is owned or occupied by more than two people, a majority of the owners/occupiers may nominate two persons from amongst themselves who are on either the State or Commonwealth electoral rolls, to enrol as owner/occupier electors.
Corporations
A body corporate that owns or occupies rateable property may nominate two people who are on either the State or Commonwealth Electoral roll in respect of a residence outside the Shire of Plantagenet.
For further information, please contact the Shire on (08) 9892 1111.