Please read the information below, or visit the VEC website's Local Council Elections page.
In a Victorian local council election there are two types of voters:
- State-enrolled
- Council-enrolled.
You have one vote in GREATER SHEPPARTON CITY COUNCIL. If you are a state-enrolled voter, that is the enrolment you use to vote.
State-enrolled voters
You must enrol and vote if you:
- are 18 years or older
- are an Australian citizen
- have lived at your address in GREATER SHEPPARTON CITY COUNCIL for longer than one month.
For more information visit the VEC website
Council-enrolled voters (ratepayers)
Some ratepayers can apply to become council-enrolled voters in GREATER SHEPPARTON CITY COUNCIL if they are:
- a property owner, occupier or represent a corporation
- 18 or older
- not a State-enrolled voter within the GREATER SHEPPARTON CITY COUNCIL
These are known as council-enrolled voters.
The rules for council-enrolled voters have changed ahead of the 2024 council elections. These changes are explained below.
Owner ratepayers
You can apply to enrol in GREATER SHEPPARTON CITY COUNCIL if you:
- own property and pay rates in the council area
- are 18 or older
- are not a state-enrolled voter who lives in GREATER SHEPPARTON CITY COUNCIL.
This includes:
- Australian citizens who own a property in GREATER SHEPPARTON CITY COUNCIL but do not live in the area (for example an investment or a holiday home)
- non-citizens over 18 who own a property and live in GREATER SHEPPARTON CITY COUNCIL.
Up to 2 ratepayers can apply to enrol per property, but each person only gets one vote.
Occupier ratepayers
You can apply to enrol in GREATER SHEPPARTON CITY COUNCIL if you:
- pay rates for a property that you occupy but do not own
- are 18 or older
- are not a state-enrolled voter.
Up to 2 people per property can apply to enrol, but each person only gets one vote.
Corporations
You can apply to enrol to vote on behalf of a corporation if you:
- are a director or company secretary of a corporation that pays rates (either as an owner or an occupier) in the council area
- have consented to being appointed as the corporation’s representative
- are not already a state-enrolled voter or council-enrolled voter for the same council.
Only one person can apply to enrol as the corporation’s representative.
If you meet the criteria
If you meet any of these criteria, you can complete the appropriate application form, links at the bottom of this page, or contact Council via email at council@shepparotn.vic.gov.au or by phone 03 5832 9700 to obtain an application form.
Once you are enrolled, you must vote for the October 2024 elections and onwards. If you don’t vote, you may get a fine.
Resigning your enrolment
If you don’t want to vote for that property anymore, you can apply to resign your enrolment.
Expiry of enrolment
Occupier ratepayers’ and corporations’ enrolment expires before the next local government general election.
If you want to continue to vote, you must apply to enrol again before the next local council general election (2028).
Greater Shepparton City Council will send you an invitation when it is time to renew your enrolment.
Owner ratepayers’ enrolment does not expire, however they can resign their enrolment if they no longer wish to vote. If you sell your property, your council enrolment will automatically become invalid and you will have to apply to enrol again if you have a valid entitlement.
For information about Victorian elections, visit the VEC website.
