Local Government Elections

How do I enrol to vote?

Residents:

Persons who are on the state electoral roll for an address within the Shire of Northam are automatically enrolled to vote in a Shire of Northam election. 

You can update your state electoral enrolment through the Australian Electoral Commission website or the WA Electoral Commission website.

To vote in the 2025 Shire of Northam Local Government election you must be enrolled to vote by Friday, 22 August 2025 at 5pm, when enrolment closes.

Non-Resident Property Owners

If you personally own rateable property in the Shire of Northam but do not reside at that property, you may be eligible to be enrolled on the Owners and Occupiers Roll, provided you are enrolled to vote in a district outside of the Shire of Northam.

To apply to enrol as a non-resident owner, you must complete:

• Enrolment Eligibility Claim: Owner or Co-Owner (Form 2); AND

• Enrolment Eligibility Claim: Nomination by Group of Owners (Form 2B) if you own your property jointly with a group of three or more people.

Please send your completed form(s) and supporting documentation to: [email protected]

The Shire of Northam will consider your enrolment claim, determine whether you are eligible, and inform you of the outcome of your claim in writing. You may be asked for additional information such as:

• Proof of your ownership and/or rateability of the property

• Proof of your enrolment in a State or Federal election

Providing this evidence at the time of submitting your claim may assist in a faster assessment by the Shire.

Enrolment closes at 5pm on Friday, 22 August 2025 for the 2025 Local Government election.
If you submit a completed enrolment claim before this deadline, it will be assessed, and you will be notified of the decision.

Non-Resident Property Occupiers

If you occupy a property in the Shire of Northam, you may be eligible to be enrolled on the Owners and Occupiers Roll, provided you are already enrolled to vote in a State or Federal election in a district outside of the Shire of Northam.

From 1 January 2024, amendments to the Local Government Act 1995 and Election Regulations set out new requirements that an occupier must meet to be eligible to vote in Local Government Elections.

To apply to enrol as a non-resident occupier, you must complete:

• Enrolment Eligibility Claim: Owner or Co-Owner (Form 2); AND

• Enrolment Eligibility Claim: Nomination by Group of Owners (Form 2B) if you occupy your property jointly with a group of three or more people.

You must include a copy of your lease, tenancy agreement or other legal instrument, proof of payment of rent, and any additional evidence to support your claim when submitting your form(s).

Please send completed form(s) and supporting documents to: [email protected]

To be eligible to vote, you must:

• Provide proof that you have a right of occupation over rateable property (or part thereof) under a lease, tenancy agreement, or other legal instrument;

• Provide proof that you have continuously occupied rateable property under a lease or legal agreement for at least 12 months prior to your claim and will continue to occupy it for at least the next three months;

• Have quiet enjoyment (exclusive occupation) of your occupied property;

• Provide proof that you are able to secure your occupied property from intruders;

• Genuinely operate, or intend to operate, your business from that property;

• Provide proof that you lease at least 10m² of property (subject to certain exclusions);

• Provide proof that you pay the minimum amount of rent for the property ($10,000 per annum for 100m² or more; $100/m² per annum if less than 100m²); and

• Be enrolled to vote in a State or Federal election outside of the Shire of Northam.

More information on eligibility requirements for inclusion on the Owners and Occupiers Roll can be found on the Department of Local Government, Sport and Cultural Industries website:
🔗 Owners and Occupiers Roll – DLGSC

The Shire of Northam will consider your enrolment claim, determine your eligibility, and inform you of the outcome in writing.

Enrolment closes at 5pm on Friday, 22 August 2025 for the 2025 Local Government election.
If you submit a completed enrolment claim before this time, it will be assessed and you will be notified of the decision.

Business/Body Corporate Property Owners

If your business/body corporate owns a property in the Shire of Northam, you may be eligible to nominate up to two people—who are not already enrolled to vote within the Shire—to vote on behalf of your business or body corporate, provided they are enrolled to vote in a State or Federal election.

Nominees must be an employee of the body corporate.

To nominate electors, please complete all sections of:

• Enrolment Eligibility Claim: Owner or Co-Owner (Form 2); AND

• Enrolment Eligibility: Nomination by Body Corporate (Form 2C).

If you own or occupy your property jointly with two or more body corporates, please contact [email protected] to be provided with the relevant forms.

Please send your completed form(s) and supporting documents to: [email protected]. 

The Shire of Northam will consider your enrolment claim, determine whether you are eligible, and inform you of the outcome of your claim in writing. You may be asked during this process to provide information such as:

• Proof of your business’/body corporate’s ownership and/or rateability of the property;

• Proof of your nominee’s enrolment in a State or Federal election;

• Proof that your business/body corporate is registered with the relevant State or Federal authority to give it legal standing as a body corporate.

Providing this evidence at the time of submitting your claim may assist in a faster assessment by the Shire.

Enrolment closes at 5pm on Friday, 22 August 2025 for the 2025 Local Government election.
If you submit a completed enrolment claim before this time, it will be assessed and you will be notified of the decision.

Business/Body Corporate Property Occupiers

If your business/body corporate occupies a property in the Shire of Northam, you may be eligible to nominate up to two people—who are not already enrolled to vote within the Shire—to vote on behalf of your business or body corporate, provided they are enrolled to vote in a State or Federal election.

Nominees must be an employee of the body corporate.

From 1 January 2024, amendments to the Local Government Act 1995 and Election Regulations set out new requirements that an occupier must meet to be eligible to be enrolled to vote in local government elections.

To nominate two people to vote on behalf of your body corporate, you must submit:

• • Enrolment Eligibility Claim: Owner or Co-Owner (Form 2); AND

  • Enrolment Eligibility: Nomination by Body Corporate (Form 2C).

along with a copy of your lease, tenancy agreement or other legal instrument, proof of payment of rent, and any additional evidence to support your claim when you submit your form(s).

If you own or occupy your property jointly with two or more body corporates, please contact us to be provided with the relevant forms.

To be eligible to nominate two people to vote, body corporates must:

• Provide proof that you have a right of occupation over rateable property (or part thereof) under a lease, tenancy agreement or other legal instrument;

• Provide proof that you have continuously occupied the rateable property under such an agreement for at least 12 months prior to your claim and for at least the next three months;

• Have quiet enjoyment (exclusive occupation) of the property;

• Provide proof that you are able to secure your occupied property from intruders;

• Genuinely operate or intend to operate your business from that property;

• Provide proof that you lease at least 10m² of property (subject to certain exclusions); and

• Provide proof that you pay the minimum amount of rent for the property ($10,000 for 100m² or more; $100/m² per annum if less than 100m²).

More information on eligibility requirements for inclusion on the Owners and Occupiers Roll can be found on the Department of Local Government, Sport and Cultural Industries website:
🔗 Owners and Occupiers Roll – DLGSC

Please send completed form(s) and supporting documents to: [email protected]. 

The Shire of Northam will consider your enrolment claim, determine whether you are eligible, and inform you of the outcome of your claim in writing. You may be asked during this process to provide information such as:

• Proof of your nominee’s enrolment in a State or Federal election;

• Proof that your business/body corporate is registered with the relevant State or Federal authority to give it legal standing as a body corporate.

Providing this evidence at the time of submitting your enrolment claim may assist in a faster assessment by the Shire.

Enrolment closes at 5pm on Friday, 22 August 2025 for the 2025 Local Government election.
If you submit a completed enrolment claim before this deadline, it will be assessed, and you will be notified of the decision.

How do I check my enrolment or update my enrolment details?

Residents

Update your enrolment through the WA Electoral Commission website.

Your postal address must be up to date with the Western Australian Electoral Commission to ensure you receive your postal election package.

Non-Resident Property Occupiers

Non-resident owners typically remain on the roll until your property is sold.

Non-resident occupiers remain on the roll for 2 ordinary elections plus 6 months, or until your lease expires.

If you are a Body Corporate nominee, you may also be removed if the Body Corporate wishes to change its nominees.

To check if you are on the Shire of Northam Owners and Occupiers roll or to find out more on how to update or renew your enrolment details, please contact the Shire by emailing r[email protected]. 

Business/Body Corporate Owners and Occupiers

To check your nominees or update the contact details of your existing nominees, please email r[email protected]. 

To enable the Shire to remove any nominees and assess new claims for alternative nominees, please check your nominees a few months before the close of electoral rolls.

The Body Corporate may provide a written request to withdraw a nomination to the Shire's Chief Executive Officer.

The request must be signed by one of the following officers of the Body Corporate:

• a Director of the body corporate or other member of its governing body;
• the Chief Executive Officer, or equivalent, of the body corporate; or
• the Secretary, or equivalent, of the body corporate

Existing nominees may personally email the Shire to remove themselves from the roll. New nominees may be considered immediately.

How do I vote?

If you are enrolled, you will receive a voting pack in the post around three weeks before election day.

You can vote as soon as you receive your voting pack by:

• post using the reply-paid envelope provided, or
• in person at the Shire of Northam Administration Building, Monday to Friday 8:30am - 5pm and on election day from 8am - 6pm.

If you plan to post your vote, please allow enough time for it to be received before election day.

Where can I vote in person?

The election is conducted via postal voting. The Shire encourages voters to complete the voting pack and return it via post it in the reply-paid envelope.

Should you wish to vote in person, a ballot box will be available at the Shire of Northam following the delivery of ballot paper packages to electors.

Drop your completed pack to the Administration Building located at 395 Fitzgerald Street, Northam, Monday to Friday 8:30am - 4:30pm or on election day from 8am - 6pm.

When will I receive the voting pack?

Approximately three weeks before election day.

Please visit the WA Electoral Commission website closer to election day for information on delivery dates.

I haven't received my voting pack?

If you haven’t received your pack within 2 weeks of the election day, please email r[email protected] to find out how to request a replacement package.

I made a mistake on my ballot paper

Please email r[email protected] to find out how to request a replacement package.

How are votes counted?

In 2023, local government elections in WA moved to optional preferential voting (OPV). It's similar to how voting is done in State and Federal elections. The change is part of the State Government's reforms to the Local Government Act. 

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

Further information on OPV can be found on the Department of Creative Industries, Tourism and Sport (CITS) website.

Watch the video to find out more. 

Does the Shire have Wards?

Yes, the Shire is made up of 3 districts. View the ward map below:

The President represents the entire district of the Shire of Northam.

The President and Council Members are each elected for four year terms, with half of the Council Member being elected every biennial election.

Why should I vote?

Voting in a local government election is not compulsory in Western Australia. However, all electors are strongly encouraged to vote. Local government plays a critical role in building and maintaining strong communities. The election is your opportunity to have your say on who represents you on Council. 

What is considered an electoral gift?

Gift means a disposition of property, or the conferral of any financial benefit, made by one person in favour of another.

A gift does not include a gift by will; a gift from a relative; a gift that does not relate to the candidate's candidature; or the provision of volunteer labour.
 
It can include:

• a gift of money
• a gift which is non-monetary but of value
• a gift in kind or where there is inadequate financial consideration such as the receipt of a discount (where the difference or the discount is worth more than $300)
• a financial or other contribution to travel
• the provision of a service for no consideration or for inadequate consideration
• a firm promise or agreement to give a gift at some future time.

Who is required to disclose an electoral gift?

Both candidates and donors are required to disclose information about any electoral related gift with a value of $300 or more that is given or promised within the disclosure period. It is essential that candidates be aware of this legislative requirement and should advise donors of their reporting responsibilities.

It is important to note that a gift could be one or more gifts from the same donor if their combined value is $300 or more.

When is the disclosure period?

Within three days of nomination, any candidate in a local government election is required to disclose any gifts received within the disclosure period prior to nomination. The disclosure period commences six months prior to Election Day. Any gift received after nomination is required to be disclosed within three days of acceptance of the gift. Penalties for non-disclosure apply.

The disclosure period for the 2025 Ordinary Election Commences on 18 April 2025.
 
The disclosure period finishes three days after Election Day for unsuccessful candidates and on the start day for financial interest returns for successful candidates.

How do I make a disclosure?

Once your candidate nomination has been made to the Returning Officer you must make your disclosures on a LG09A Disclosure of Gifts form and deliver it to the Chief Executive Officer within three days of receiving the gift.
 
Your donors will also need to disclose any gifts they made within the relevant period using the LG09A Disclosure of Gifts form.

Information to be supplied includes the name of the candidate, the name and address of the donor, the date the gift was promised or received, the value of the gift and a description of the gift.
 
The Chief Executive Officer is required to establish and maintain a public electoral gift register. Disclosures must be kept on the register for the period of 4 years after the relevant election day.

Further information can be found at the following link: 
Electoral gifts and crowdfunding | DLGSC