Electors wishing to vote will be provided with a voting card. These voting cards will be issued to eligible electors from 5:30pm, when the Civic Centre opens.
To enable minutes to be kept in accordance with section 5.32 of the Act, electors are kindly requested, if possible, to provide in writing to the Shire, any public questions, statements or motions to be raised at the General Meeting of Electors, by 2pm on Wednesday, 14 June 2023.
Do you need to be an elector in the district to vote?
Yes, in accordance with legislation. Attendees will be asked to confirm that they are eligible to vote in accordance with legislation to be provided a voting card which will be used during the meeting.
Do you need to be an elector in the district to speak at the meeting?
No, but in accordance with legislation only electors are permitted to vote.
Is there an Agenda for the meeting?
Yes, the Agenda will be published here prior to the meeting.
Who runs the meeting?
The Presiding Member for a General Meeting of Electors is the Shire President, or if the President is unavailable, the Deputy President may be delegated this responsibility.
If the Deputy President is also unavailable to preside, the Electors present at the meeting choose a Councillor to preside. If the Councillor nominated is unable or unwilling to preside, the Electors may choose someone else to preside.
What can I do at a General Meeting of Electors?
The meeting agenda provides for public question and public statement time. Information about public participation is available here.
If you are an elector and have registered to vote at the General Meeting of Electors, you can move what’s called a ‘motion’ at the meeting and you can vote on your or anyone else’s motion.
Moving a ‘motion’ means you are asking the Council to undertake some kind of action, for example, to adopt a report, to undertake works, to stop works and so on.
The Presiding member will call for a seconder. If you receive a ‘seconder’ for your motion, or in other words, the support of another person for your motion, the Presiding Member of the General Meeting of Electors will ask those in attendance if anyone would like to debate the motion and then, votes for or against on the motion will be taken.
I am registered, how do I vote at a General Meeting of Electors?
Voting at a General Meeting of Electors is by a simple show of hands. You will be asked to raise your voting slip if you are ‘for’ a motion being passed, or if you are ‘against’ a motion being passed.
Shire staff will count all votes when the vote is called, so please ensure you keep your voting slip raised until your vote has been counted.
You do not have to vote on any motion if you do not wish to do so.
I can't make the meeting, can someone else vote for me or can I post my vote in?
No. You must be in attendance at a General Meeting of Electors to be able to have your vote counted.
What is the process at a General Meeting of Electors?
The Presiding Member is responsible for deciding how the meeting will be run, however, as a general guide, the Presiding Member will:
- open the meeting and allow time for any final registrations to vote;
- advise all in attendance of the purpose of the meeting;
- facilitate debate, if any, on any motion; and
- seek a show of hands for those in favour or against any motion.
What happens with motions passed at a General Meeting of Electors?
All decisions made at Electors’ Meetings are brought before the Council for consideration either at the next Ordinary Council Meeting, or if that’s not possible, the subsequent Council meeting. Otherwise, the Council can call a Special Council Meeting for this purpose.
For a decision made at an Electors’ Meeting to become a decision of the Council, the Council must agree to it.
If Council makes a decision in response to a decision made at an Electors’ Meeting, the reasons for the decision are recorded in the minutes of the Council meeting.
Will I be able to get a copy of the minutes for the General Meeting of Electors?
Yes. The Shire takes minutes of the proceedings of all Electors’ Meetings. These are published and made publicly available.
Will the meeting be recorded?
No.