Hobart City Council Voting information

Are you wondering if and how you can vote in Hobart City Council elections ?

One person one vote not yet achieved

Helen Burnet supports the principle of one person - one vote.

This has not yet been achieved in Hobart. Some people can have two votes. Statewide, it is theoretically possible for some people to have 29 votes in local government elections!

By Post

Remember that voting for the Hobart City Council is by post. You don’t have to go to a polling booth, but you must put your ballot paper in the Post.

The information below outlines the current regulations.

Who may vote?

You may vote at the Hobart City Council election if:

(1) You are enrolled on the House of Assembly electoral roll for an address within the boundaries of the Hobart City Council.

Or

(2) You are an owner or occupier of land in the City; and you are over 18 years of age; and not in prison and not subject to an order under the Mental Health Act 1963. This includes people from overseas and students from outside the municipality. As long as you live within Council boundaries, you can vote.

(You can vote in other municipalities as well if you own or occupy land in those municipalities).

Or

(3) You have been nominated to vote on behalf of a corporate body that owns or occupies land in the Hobart City Council municipal area.

Note that no-one can have more than two votes in the Hobart City Council election -- one vote in their own right and only one vote on behalf of a corporate body.

Are you enrolled?

You are enrolled automatically if you are enrolled on the House of Assembly roll for an address within the Hobart City Council municipal area.

Check the House of Assembly roll to ensure that you are entitled to vote. If you are not on the roll but are entitled to vote, you should put in an enrolment form. Go to the Australian Electoral Commission website at www.aec.gov.au and click on the "Check your enrolment details online" button.

You can download and print an enrolment form here:

Enrolment Form

Enrolment forms are also available at the Customer Service Centre, 16 Elizabeth Street, Hobart or telephone (03) 6238 2788. You can call in and collect a form or you can phone and have a form mailed to you. Forms are also available from the Tasmanian Electoral Office, Level 2, Telstra Centre, 70 Collins Street, Hobart.

Corporations

A corporate body must lodge an application signed by the person nominated to vote on its behalf. Forms are available from the Customer Service Centre or from the Tasmanian Electoral Office.

Corporations that have previously lodged authorities should check whether any alteration to take account of current personnel is required.

Corporate Body Enrolment Form

Voting procedure

Voting is by post – not by visiting polling booths. The system of counting is similar to Hare-Clarke preferential proportional representation.

Further Information

Further information is at the Tasmanian Electoral Commission website or at Part 15 of the Local Government Act 1993

Any matter involving voting enrolment details, or any election enquiry may be directed to the Councils Customer Service Centre on telephone (03) 6238 2788.

http://www.hobartcity.com.au/content/InternetWebsite/Council/About_Council/Elections.aspx