Optional preferential voting at 2023 local government elections
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By now, electors should have received their voting packs for the City of Fremantle’s local government election.
When deciding who to vote for, electors may notice a change in the voting system, with 'optional preferential voting' now being used for local government elections in WA.
This is the same method as state and federal elections, whereby voters can number candidates in the order of their preference, but do not have to number all the boxes if they don’t want to.
They 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 preference. vote for all candidates: by numbering all the candidates in the order of preference.The change is part of the State Government's reforms to the Local Government Act, which aim to strengthen local democracy, transparency, and accountability.
This week the WA Electoral Commission re-issued voting packages to around 12,000 electors in Central and Coastal wards, the two areas affected by a mail distribution error.
This is a postal election. Electors can post their vote using the reply-paid envelope provided in the election package. Completed voting papers must arrive before 6pm on election day, Saturday 21 October.
Electors may also hand deliver their postal voting papers prior to election day to Walyalup Civic Centre during business hours or to the Fremantle Town Hall between 8am and 6pm on election day.
There are 11 candidates contesting four vacancies, one in each of the four wards. The candidate’s profiles can be viewed on the City of Fremantle website.