Elections

Local Government Elections are held every two years on the third Saturday in October.  

The next Local Government Election is due to be held on 18 October 2025.

Four Councillor positions are set to become available with terms to expire on 20 October 2029.

Councillors are elected for terms of four years, with elections being held every two years for half of the council. The Shire President is then elected from amongst the Councillors.

Prior to an election being held the Council determines whether it wishes to appoint the Electoral Commissioner to run the election as a postal election or whether it wishes to run it as an ‘in-person’ election.
 

If the number of candidates is equal to the number of vacancies, the candidate is elected unopposed. If there are more candidates than vacancies, then the election will proceed.

ELIGIBILITY TO VOTE

To be eligible to vote in an upcoming election individuals need to ensure that they are on the electoral roll. For local government elections, rolls close at 5.00 pm, 50 days prior to polling day. All electors should check their enrolment details are up to date before rolls close.

WHO CAN VOTE

Ratepayers and residents of the Shire of Irwin are entitled to vote in local government elections.

You might need information about your voting entitlements if you:

  • Live in the Shire of Irwin and recently turned 18
  • Own a business that owns or leases a property in the Shire of Irwin
  • Live outside the Shire but own property and pay rates in the Shire of Irwin

You can visit the WA Electoral Commission website to check if you are enrolled.

Residents

You can vote at Council elections if you are registered on the State Roll as a resident, before the rolls close.

Claims for enrolment on the State Roll should be made at any Australian Electoral Commission in Western Australia.

Owners and Occupiers

You are also eligible to be enrolled to vote if you are a non-resident owner or occupier of rateable property, provided that you are on a State or Commonwealth Electoral Roll. However, it is essential that you lodge an enrolment form. 

If you are not on a State or Commonwealth electoral roll, a claim can still be accepted, provided you were on the last owner and occupier’s roll for that electorate and have continued to own or occupy rateable property in that electorate continuously since that roll was prepared.

To be eligible to enrol as an occupier, you will need to have a right of continuous occupation under a lease, tenancy agreement or other legal documents for at least the next 3 months following the date of the application to enrol.

Joint Owners and Occupiers

If a rateable property is owned or occupied by more than two persons, a majority of the owners/occupiers may nominate two persons from amongst themselves who are either on the State or Commonwealth rolls, to enrol as owner/occupier electors.

Corporations

A body corporate which owns or occupies rateable property may nominate two persons who are on either the State or Commonwealth electoral rolls, to enrol as owner/occupier electors.