Council Elections
Local Government elections are held every four years. Local government is the government closest to the people. It creates the foundations for democracy and accountability.
Local councils govern, provide services and advocate. Most importantly, they create opportunities for citizens to influence and participate in the democratic process and the decisions that shape our society and local communities.
The next General Election is taking place on Saturday 24 October 2020.
About Council Elections
The City of Greater Shepparton is an un-subdivided municipality consisting of nine (9) Councillors.
The 2020 General Election will be conducted via postal vote.
Ballot packs will be mailed to every person enrolled on the Greater Shepparton City Council voters role between 6 and 8 October 2020.
Voters must have posted or hand-delivered their completed ballot material by 6pm on Friday 23 October 2020 for their vote to count. Voters are advised to check local mail collection times in their area to ensure that their ballot is lodged on time.
It is important to note that as the election is being held entirely by postal voting, there will be no voting on Election Day (24 October 2020).
Key Dates for Candidates
- Nominations open 9am on 17 September 2020
- Nominations close at 12 noon, Tuesday, 22 September 2020.
- Candidate statements and photographs, and the candidate questionnaires, are due by 12 noon on 23 September 2020
- Election day is Saturday 24 October 2020
- Results will be declared on, or prior to Friday 13 November 2020.
Voters' Roll
To be eligible to vote in the elections you must be on the Greater Shepparton City Council voters' roll by 4pm on Friday 28 August 2020.
There are two main categories of voters who can participate in this election: State-enrolled voters and Council-enrolled voters.
You can check your enrolment status by calling Council's Rates Team on 5832 9700.
Remember it is compulsory for State enrolled voters to vote in the Council elections. If you are a State enrolled voter and don't vote, you risk a fine.
Enrolling to vote
State-enrolled voters
You are already enrolled to vote in these elections if:
- you will be over 18 years of age on Saturday 24 October 2020 AND
- you live in the City of Greater Shepparton AND
- you are on the State electoral roll for your current address.
Council-enrolled voters
You are automatically enrolled to vote in these elections if you had an entitlement on the 2016 roll, providing your name and the entitled property address is the same as it was in 2016.
If you didn't have an entitlement in 2016 and wish to vote in the 2020 Election, you will need to make an application. See the document Owner Ratepayer - Application of enrolment below.
For example, if you purchased a property in Greater Shepparton on 31 December 2019 and live outside Greater Shepparton, you will need to apply to vote.
Application to Enrol
You may apply to enrol if:
- You own a property in Greater Shepparton, that you did not own by the 2016 Election entitlement date (26 August 2016), and you reside outside of the municipality
- you own or occupy rateable property in the City of Greater Shepparton and reside in the City of Greater Shepparton municipality, but you are not on the State electoral roll (includes non-Australian citizens) OR
- you are a director or company secretary of a corporation (or hold an equivalent position in an Association), such as an owners’ corporation, that occupies rateable property solely or jointly within the City of Greater Shepparton municipality.
To apply to enrol, please complete the relevant application form below and email to council@shepparton.vic.gov.au by 4pm on 28 August 2020.
Failure to vote
The Victorian Electoral Commission mail out failure to vote notices to those residents who are required to vote in Council elections and are not recorded as having voted at those elections.
What is an apparent failure to vote notice?
The apparent failure to vote notice is issued by the Victorian Electoral Commission, on behalf of the Council. The notice invites persons who were required to vote at the elections and who appear not to have voted to provide an explanation for why they failed to vote. They may also contest that they did, in fact, vote at the elections if they believe that are incorrectly recorded as not having voted.
The apparent failure to vote notice is not an infringement notice and does not attract a fine.
How do I provide my reason for not voting?
A detailed explanation of why a person failed to vote at an election must be added to the form on the back of the apparent failure to vote notice. The completed form must then be returned to the VEC in accordance with the details provided on the notice.
Candidate Information Sessions
Council has partnered with the Victorian Local Government Association (VLGA) and the Municipal Association of Victoria (MAV) to deliver informative workshops ahead of the 2020 elections.
These workshops are designed to increase understanding of councils and the election process, and to help guide the journey from community member to candidate and (potentially) councillor.
Attendance at information sessions is optional, but strongly encouraged.
IMPORTANT: Attendance at one of the following information sessions DOES NOT qualify as the Mandatory Training candidates must undertake as part of their eligibility requirements. Please refer to the Section on ‘Mandatory Candidate Training’ below for more information on this requirement.
General Information Sessions
Council strongly encourages all community members considering nominating as a candidate to attend one of the following general information sessions. Interested members of the public are also welcome to register.
General Information Session
Facilitated by Victorian Local Government Association (VLGA)
29 July 2020, 5.30pm – 8.30pm
To be held virtually via Zoom.
Click here to register for the General Information Session
MAV Stand for Council – Information Session
Facilitated by Municipal Association of Victoria (MAV)
3 August 2020, 6.00pm – 8.00pm
To be held virtually via Zoom.
Click here to register for the MAV Stand for Council session
"Stand for Council" Information Sessions Held at Other Councils
If you missed the above information sessions, there are other sessions held by other councils that you can attend virtually:
Click here to see the sessions available on the Vic Councils website
Local Women Leading Change
Council advocates for gender equality and encourages local Women in the City of Greater Shepparton who have an interest in Community Leadership to consider candidature.
The Local Women Leading Change program is delivered by the VLGA and supported by the Victorian Government.
Local Women Leading Change
Facilitated by Victorian Local Government Association (VLGA)
27 August 2020, 5.30pm – 8.30pm
To be held virtually via Zoom.
Click here to register for the Local Women Leading Change session
Your Community, Country & Council (YCCC)
Council recognises the importance of promoting and representing its diverse community, and encourages community members from all backgrounds to consider nominating as candidates.
The YCCC is a series of events including podcasts, discussion forums and workshops being facilitated by the VLGA which are designed to increase participants’ knowledge of the local government sector. This program aims to improve engagement between Aboriginal participants and Council and encourage their nomination as candidates for the 2020 council elections.
Your Community, Country & Council (YCCC) Sessions
Click here for details on the YCCC sessions
Mandatory Training for Candidates
Under the new requirements of the Local Government Act 2020, candidates must complete mandatory Local Government Candidate Training to be eligible to nominate for the election with the Victorian Electoral Commission.
The training will be available from the week of 3 August 2020 and must be completed prior to nomination.
This year, for the first time, local government candidates are required to complete mandatory training to be eligible to nominate.
Candidate Information Video Presentation
This presentation provides comprehensive information for prospective candidates to find out more about the nomination process for the 2020 local council elections.
VEC Candidate Information Video Presentation
The recorded version will be complemented by three state-wide interactive candidate seminars based on the information session video. The seminars will provide prospective candidates the opportunity to ask questions about the nomination process and the election.
The seminars will be held on the following days:
- 7 pm Wednesday 9 September 2020
- 1 pm Sunday 13 September 2020 and
- 5 pm Tuesday 15 September 2020
You will need to register through the VEC website.
Additionally, here is a link to a short VEC video outlining how voters can find information on candidates, including where they stand on various issues that the voter may care about.
Questions from Candidates
In accordance with Council's Election Period Policy, Council will record any information provided to a Candidate and make that same information available to all candidates.
To facilitate this process, Candidates will be asked to submit all questions or requests for information to election.enquiries@shepparton.vic.gov.au
You will be able to view Candidate questions and responses here:
Question from a Candidate:
Can Council please provide some guidance on election signage, particularly with regards to mobile and electronic billboards?Council Response:
Guidelines for the placement of election signs have been developed and posted on the website. It is available for download from the "Links and Resources" section below.
Victorian Electoral Commission (VEC)
The VEC can provide candidates with information relating to the election process and eligibility requirements.
The VEC website will feature comprehensive information about local government elections generally, as well as specific information about each local council’s election.
Content will be updated at each phase of the election cycle including information about enrolment, nominating for election, early and postal voting, redirection of ballot packs (postal), replacement of ballot packs (postal), details of how and when to vote, the close of voting and election results.
VEC Election Office
207 High Street, Shepparton
The election office will open to the public from Wednesday 16 September 2020 and close on Friday 23 October 2020.
Opening hours will be Monday - Friday, 9am to 5pm.
The Office will be open late on two late nights, being 9.00 am to 8.00 pm on Thursday 22 October and 9am to 6pm on Friday 23 October 2020.
Safe Campaigning Guidelines
Advice on safe campaigning for the October local government elections has been published by Local Government Victoria:
Safe Campaign Guidelines - July 2020
The Safe Campaign Guidelines - July 2020 will help candidates understand how to comply with the directions of the Victorian Chief Health Officer to stay safe while campaigning.
This includes advice on permitted campaign activities, safety for campaign teams, basic hygiene and physical distancing.
Local Government Victoria will continually update these guidelines with the latest directions and restrictions. We recommended candidates check the guidelines regularly throughout campaigning.
Links and Resources
Council has prepared fhe following a fact sheet of frequently asked questions for candidates which can be accessed here:
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Interested in becoming a candidate – what do I need to do? These frequently asked questions cover everything from nominations, eligibility and the election itself.
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Council Elections 2020. The following guidelines are provided for the placement of electoral signs within the Greater Shepparton City Council.
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This year, for the first time, local government candidates are required to complete mandatory training to be eligible to nominate.
Additional information can also be obtained from the following sources: