Information about becoming a candidate in a local government election.
- Nominations open: Thursday 31 August
- Nominations close: Thursday 7 September, 4 pm
Who can be a candidate?
Under the Local Government Act 1995, to be eligible to nominate as a candidate for a local government election, the candidate must be:
- an elector of the district (residential or owner/occupier) and
- over 18 years of age.
- Not disqualified by anything below.
A person cannot nominate to be a candidate nor remain a councillor if they:
- are a member of State or Federal Parliament
- are a member of the council of another local government
- are an insolvent under administration
- are in prison serving a sentence for a crime
- have been convicted of a serious local government offence within the last five years (unless the court waived the disqualification)
- have been convicted on indictment of an offence for which the indictable penalty was, or included:
- imprisonment for life, or
- imprisonment for more than five years
- are subject to a court order disqualifying them from being a member of a council because they have misapplied local government funds or property
- are a nominee of a body corporate
- propose standing for two positions on council (unless standing for mayor or president as well as councillor)
- are currently disqualified by the State Administrative Tribunal from holding office as a member of a council.
Before nominating, all candidates must complete an online induction via the Department of Local Government, Sport & Cultural Industries.
To nominate as a candidate for a local government election, the candidate must submit an application consisting of:
- a completed nomination form. For elections being run by the WAEC, it is recommended that candidates use Nomination Builder to complete their nomination form and construct their candidate profile.
- a candidate profile which must:
- be in English
- be no more than 1000 characters (including spaces)
- not contain false, defamatory or misleading information
- fit on an A4 page
- include the candidate’s full name and contact information
- a photograph, no larger than passport-sized and taken in the last six months (optional).
- a deposit of $100
Candidates may also provide a written statement in English, of up to 2,000 characters (including spaces) with their nomination paper (optional).
All nomination applications must be signed by the candidate in front of a witness.
The nomination application must be submitted to the Returning Officer during the nomination period (31 August - 4 pm, 7 September 2023).
As the Returning Officer may ask candidates to amend their nomination, it is recommended that candidates ensure they have allowed sufficient time to finalise any required changes before the close of nominations.
More information
Additional information for candidates can be found on the Department of Local Government, Sport and Cultural Industries website.
Returning Officers
Returning Officers are responsible for the conduct of an election, including the nominations process. They are usually the first point of contact for any enquires relating to the election.
Authorisation of election campaign material
Information about authorisation of electoral material and other matters.
Candidates have a duty of disclosure of electoral donations. Candidates and donors are required to disclose any electoral related gifts promised or received within the six months prior to polling day.
All queries should be directed to the local government’s Chief Executive Officer.