Western Australians are encouraged to cast a vote in the upcoming local government elections, which are held every two years and will take place on 16 October 2021.
The Western Australia Government has been running the ‘Be a Vocal Local’ campaign in partnership with the WA Local Government Association (WALGA), Local Government Professionals WA and Western Australia Electoral Commission (WAEC), encouraging Western Australians to play an active role in the elections.
The majority of local governments hold postal voting elections, which are conducted by the WAEC. Elections held by in-person voting may be held by WAEC or the local government.
For the upcoming ordinary elections, there are 640 vacancies across 139 local governments, including two Indian Ocean Territories.
Western Australia Local Government Minister, John Carey, said, “Voting is really easy, but it is a critical and powerful way to play a role in the future direction of your community. It only takes a few minutes to read up on the candidates in your area and to cast a vote.
“Councils should reflect the community they represent and I am a supporter of seeing greater diversity in elected representatives, including more young people, women, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, those living with disabilities and people from culturally diverse backgrounds.
“One of the best ways to achieve diversity is by making your voice heard, and voting for candidates you believe will represent your views.
“Councils make a lot of decisions about how to spend ratepayer money, which in the 2019-20 financial year was nearly $2.5 billion across all Western Australian local governments, so it is important people play an active role in the voting process.
“Ordinary elections only come around every two years, so I urge Western Australians to make the most of this opportunity and vote for members of their local council.”
