LOCAL government elections scheduled for Saturday, October 24 will go ahead as planned.
Despite calls from Local Government peak body, the Municipal Association of Victoria (MAV), to postpone the elections by 12 months, the state’s Minister for Local Government, Shaun Leane, disagreed.
“This decision was not made lightly and is based on the best public health advice available,” Mr Leane said in a statement.
In response to the announcement, MAV president, Cr Coral Ross said, “It is incredibly frustrating that the State Government has not listened to the sector, and taken the common-sense decision to delay elections.”
“We have been calling for a deferral of Local Government elections for months now due to the significant impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on free and fair elections.”
The election of local councils occurs every four years, and in a first for Victoria, this year will be conducted through a postal vote, with ballot papers arriving in mailboxes in early October.
All candidates running for council will be able to provide voters with a 300-word statement in their ballot packs to be sent to voters.
Election results will be declared on, or prior to, Friday, November 13.
