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Introduction
The 2012 Local Government quadrennial elections will be held on Saturday 28 April 2012.
Voting is compulsory for all eligible citizens.
Click below or scroll down for:
Election timetable
Information for Electors
Information for candidates and political parties
Media information
Employment information
Legislation
Election results (when available)
Questions and answers
During the election period general enquiries can also be made to ECQ's Voters' Helpline 1300 881 665 (Currently 9:00 am to 5:00 pm Monday to Friday. During the election period (Saturday 10 March 2012 to Saturday 28 April 2012) Monday to Friday 8:00 am to 8:00 pm, Saturday 8:00 am to 6:00 pm including election day)
All MEDIA contact should be by email to media@ecq.qld.gov.au. This address is constantly monitored. Media enquiries should NOT be made through the Voters' Helpline.
Close of rolls
5:00 pm Saturday 25 February 2012.
Nominations
Open Saturday 10 March 2012.
Close 12:00 noon Tuesday 27 March 2012.
Pre-poll voting
Opens 9:00 am Monday 16 April 2012.
Closes 6:00 pm Friday 27 April 2012.
Processing of postal voting applications
Applications can be made immediately but the Commission cannot forward ballot material until after the close of nominations on Tuesday 27 March 2012.
Applications close 6:00 pm Wednesday 25 April 2012.
Cut-off date for return of postal ballot papers: 6:00 pm Tuesday 8 May 2012.
Electoral visitor voting
Applications can be made immediately but the Commission cannot put arrangements in place until after the close of nominations on Tuesday 27 March 2012.
Declared institution voting
Commences Tuesday 17 April 2012.
Voting ends 6:00 pm Saturday 28 April 2012.
Election Day
Saturday 28 April 2012.
Polling booths open from 8:00 am to 6:00 pm.
Electoral Roll closes 5:00 pm Saturday 25 February 2012.
Enrolment and voting is compulsory for all eligible citizens.
To check the Local Government area or division in which you are enrolled, click here.
If you wish to check or update your existing enrolment, click here.
If you are enrolling as an elector for the first time, click here.
Assistance is available through the Voters' Helpline 1300 881 665 (Currently 9:00 am to 5:00 pm Monday to Friday. During the election period (Saturday 10 March 2012 to Saturday 28 April 2012) Monday to Friday 8:00 am to 8:00 pm, Saturday 8:00 am to 6:00 pm including election day)
You can also contact us by email at ecq@ecq.qld.gov.au or by fax on (07) 3229 7391 at any time.
Please note: ballot papers for this election cannot be printed until after the close of nominations on Tuesday 27 March 2012.
Full postal ballots
In some councils voting will be conducted exclusively by postal ballot. All electors in these areas will automatically receive their postal ballot papers by mail without needing to apply. Postal votes must be completed before 6:00 pm on Election Day and received by the Returning Officer before 6:00 pm Tuesday 8 May 2012.
All other councils
Voting options in all other councils include:
Voting system
For councils that are divided into separate divisions or wards, elections will be conducted using the Optional Preferential Voting (OPV) system. All other (undivided) councils will use the First Past the Post (FPTP) system. Instructions on how to vote will appear on the ballot paper.
Election results
Results will be displayed on this website as they come to hand. For divided councils (those with OPV) the majority of votes (but not including postal votes) will be able to be counted on election night, for both mayoral and councillor positions. For undivided councils that have a FPTP system the counting process is more complicated. In those councils mayoral votes will be able to be counted on the night but the counting of councillor votes is likely to take longer.
Results will be updated progressively throughout election night and for the days following.
Further information Call the Voters' Helpline on 1300 881 665 (Currently 9:00 am to 5:00 pm Monday to Friday. During the election period (Saturday 10 March 2012 to Saturday 28 April 2012) Monday to Friday 8:00 am to 8:00 pm, Saturday 8:00 am to 6:00 pm including election day), email ecq@ecq.qld.gov.au or fax the Commission on (07) 3229 7391 at any time.
Information for candidates, groups and political parties
Political parties cannot endorse candidates at local government elections unless the parties are registered under the Electoral Act 1992.
Click here for a list of Queensland Registered Political Parties.
Elections can also be contested by groups of candidates. Groups of candidates must complete a record of group membership and a Group Agent form as required by Section 42 of the Local Government Electoral Act. The form must set out details of the candidates who are members of the group as well as the name of the group agent, and be signed by each of the candidates and the agent.
The form must also contain the agent's signed agreement and their declaration that they are eligible to be appointed as the agent. Click here to access the form.
Forms must be lodged after the candidates have nominated but before 12:00 noon Tuesday 27 March 2012.
For further information Click here to access the Candidates' Guide.
Nominations open Saturday 10 March 2012 and must be lodged with the Returning Officer by 12:00 noon Tuesday 27 March 2012. Late nominations cannot be accepted. Nominations through the Commission's website are not available until Saturday 10 March 2012.
Eligibility
The eligibility requirements are set down in:
In summary: a candidate for election as mayor or councillor must be on the roll for that council area and must reside in that council area as at Saturday 25 February 2012 (the date of the Close of Rolls for the election). In divided councils, there is no requirement that candidates must live in or be enrolled in the division or ward that they are contesting.
Dual candidacy is not permitted - A person cannot stand as candidate for both councillor and mayor, be a candidate for more than one council or be a candidate for more than one division or ward in a council area.
Candidates may be nominated in either of the following ways:
Nomination Deposit - when a nomination form is lodged, a deposit must be paid to the Returning Officer. The deposit of $250 must be paid in cash or by bank cheque. Personal cheques, EFTPOS transactions or credit cards cannot be accepted under any circumstances.
The deposit will be returned to candidates who:
Candidates who are eligible for a refund of their nomination deposit must have lodged their disclosure return with the commission before the refund can be made.
Draw for position on ballot paper - the order of candidates' names on the ballot paper is determined by a draw conducted by the Returning Officer on nomination day. For the mayoral ballot paper for the Brisbane City Council election, the draw is conducted by the Electoral Commission Queensland. Details of the time and location will be confirmed by the Returning Officer. Candidates or their representatives are welcome to attend the draw.
How to Vote cards
Registered political parties, registered groups of candidates and candidates may distribute electoral material during the course of an election.
Authorisation
How to Vote cards distributed during the election period (that is, from Saturday 10 March to and including Election Day Saturday 28 April 2012) must state the following particulars:
Example: "Authorised R. Jones, 1 Green Street, Brisbane for R. Jones (Candidate)."
Example: "Authorised P. Smith, 100 Green Street, Brisbane for [name of Registered Political Party]".
Example: "Authorised P. Smith, 100 Green Street, Brisbane for [name of Group]".
In all cases, the particulars must appear at the end of each printed face of the How to Vote card in prominent and legible characters in print no smaller than -
Lodgement of How to Vote cards to be distributed on Election Day - How to Vote cards for a registered political party or for any candidate and which are to be distributed on Election Day must be lodged with the Returning Officer, (or in the case of political parties, with the Commission, by the person who authorised them, before 5:00 pm Friday 20 April 2012. For further information concerning the publication, lodgement and distribution of How to Vote cards refer to the Candidates' Guide (click here).
Availability of How to Vote cards for public inspection - All approved How to Vote cards for each local government area will be made available for public inspection before Election Day at the office of the Returning Officer for that local government area and at the local council. Every effort will also be made to have a set of lodged How to Vote cards relating to that local government area for inspection at each polling booth in the areas or divisions or wards to which they relate.
Canvassing in or near polling places - Candidates or their representatives are not permitted to canvass for votes, distribute How to Vote material to electors or display a political statement inside a polling booth or within 6 metres of the entrance to a polling booth.
Electoral Signage - Handbills, pamphlets and notices which contain election matter must be authorised if they are printed, published, distributed or broadcast during the election period (10 March -28 April 2012). The authorisation must be in the form of the name and street address (not a PO Box) of the person who authorised it.
While the Commission requires electoral signage to be authorised, it has no jurisdiction over the placement, size and number of signs. This is a matter for individual councils.
Funding and Disclosure
The Local Government Electoral Act 2011 governs the financial obligations for candidates and third parties who take part in a Local Government election.
Candidates
The disclosure obligations for candidates in Local Government elections can be divided into two areas:
Dedicated Accounts
Candidates must keep a separate account with a financial institution for local government election campaigns. This account is known as a Dedicated Account.
All amounts received by a candidate, or on a candidate's behalf, during the disclosure period for the conduct of the candidate's election campaign must be paid into the candidate's Dedicated Account. This includes:
All amounts paid by a candidate, or on a candidate's behalf, during the disclosure period for the conduct of the candidate's election campaign must be paid out of the candidate's Dedicated Account.
The Dedicated Account cannot be used in any capacity other than mentioned above.
Disclosure Returns
Candidates must provide a Disclosure Return to the Electoral Commission Queensland, for the Disclosure Period, detailing:
Disclosure Period for Candidates
For a group of candidates the disclosure period commences 14 April 2008 and concludes on Monday 28 May 2012.
For individual candidates:
Donors / Third Parties
Donors and third party campaigners in Local Government elections must provide a Disclosure Return to the Electoral Commission Queensland detailing:
Disclosure Period for Donors / Third Parties
Different disclosure periods apply to third party receipts and expenditure:
Lodgment and publication of disclosure returns
Candidate, donor and third party campaigner Disclosure Returns are due 15 weeks after the conclusion of the election and must be submitted in the approved form provided by the Commission.
All Disclosure Returns are published on the Commission's website within 6 weeks of lodgment.
The Electoral Commission Queensland has prepared a special media information kit providing detailed information about the election, including timelines and useful fact sheets. Please consult the kit before making general enquiries. Click here to download the media information kit.
Other media enquiries (including requests for interview) should be emailed to media@ecq.qld.gov.au. A brief description of the enquiry or matter to be discussed will assist the Commission to provide a prompt response. Please note that all media responses are co-ordinated centrally through this email address, NOT through individual Returning Officers. Also, please do NOT make media enquiries to the Voter's Helpline; this creates an extra step in responding to your enquiry.
Nominations - names of candidates including details of the ballot paper draw, will be available on this website about mid-afternoon on Tuesday 27 March 2012, after the close of nominations for the election. A list of candidates will be available as soon as possible after nominations close.
Members of the media are welcome to attend the draws for position on ballot papers, which are held in the office of each Returning Officer, shortly after the 12:00 noon deadline for nominations.
The addresses of Returning Officers will be available from the Notice of the election. Returning Officers will notify candidates of the time and place of the draw for ballot paper order. (The draw for mayoral candidates for the City of Brisbane will take place at the head office of ECQ, 160 Mary Street, Brisbane.)
Please note that the Commission does not make Returning Officers' phone numbers available publicly because all election enquiries are handled centrally. We appreciate the cooperation of media outlets in respecting our wishes in this matter.
Voting arrangements
Click here for a list of all councils and their respective voting arrangements.
Results will be posted on this website as they become available on election night. Results will be updated over the ensuing 10 days as postal votes are received and counted, with final votes for each day posted by 4.30 pm.
The Commission does not declare the result of any seat while there remains a mathematical possibility that any one out of two or more candidates could win.
The Electoral Commissioner David Kerslake welcomes the opportunity to disseminate appropriate information to the public through media interviews. Suitable themes include:
All media enquiries are handled centrally through media@ecq.qld.gov.au
Information for the public
The media can be of great assistance in disseminating the following information to the public.
Enrolment - electoral roll closes 5:00 pm Saturday 25 February 2012.
Nominations - open Saturday 10 March 2012; close 12:00 noon (sharp) Tuesday 27 March 2012.
Election Day - Saturday 28 April 2012.
Voters helpline - 1300 881 665 (Currently 9:00 am to 5:00 pm Monday to Friday. During the election period (Saturday 10 March 2012 to Saturday 28 April 2012) Monday to Friday 8:00 am to 8:00 pm, Saturday 8:00 am to 6:00 pm including election day)
ECQ website - www.ecq.qld.gov.au
For other dates click here to return to the Election Timetable.
For a list of councils' voting arrangements (attendance/full postal voting; Optional Preferential or First Past the Post voting) click here.
The Electoral Commission Queensland employs over 8000 people throughout Queensland for the conduct of the election. Most positions involve work at a polling booth on Election Day. Other staff are employed to assist each of the Returning Officers with election and administrative work. For a description of the jobs that are available - and the pay rates which we offer, click here to go to our online recruitment system.
Local Government elections and by-elections are conducted in accordance with the provisions of the Local Government Electoral Act 2011, Local Government Act 2009 and the City of Brisbane Act 2010
Under these powers the Commission:
The Commission will appoint a Returning Officer for each local government area to conduct the election on behalf of and under the direction of the Commissioner. In the case of the Brisbane City Council election, a Returning Officer will be appointed for each of the City's 26 electoral wards.
Local government election results will be posted on this website from election night until the counting of votes is finalised.
Who is eligible to enrol and vote for Queensland State and Local Government elections? I have changed address. Do I need to fill out a new enrolment form? How do I find out where I am currently enrolled ? Can I enrol after the official close of rolls? What voting system is used in Local Government elections?What happens if I don't vote? How do I know where I can vote? Can I still vote if I'm interstate or overseas on Election Day? My friend/relative needs assistance when voting. Am I able to assist them? Because of my religious beliefs I do not vote. Will I still be fined? Where can I vote before polling day? Who can apply for a postal vote? What is an electoral visit vote? Who is eligible to enrol and vote for Queensland State and Local Government elections? Any person who: is 18 years of age or older; is an Australian citizen or a British subject who was enrolled on 25 January 1984 or, for Queensland elections, eligible to be on the State electoral roll on 31 December 1991; and has lived at their address for at least one month. You may provisionally enrol when you are 16, but you will not be able to vote until your 18th birthday. I have changed address. Do I need to fill out a new enrolment form? You can update your address details online as long as you can supply your driver's licence details, click here. If you are not currently enrolled or do not have a driver's licence you will need to fill out an enrolment form, click here to access the form. How do I find out where I am currently enrolled? You can check your enrolment to find the Federal, State and Local Government areas you are enrolled for. Can I enrol after the official close of rolls? For local government elections your enrolment and voting entitlement will be as at the Close of Rolls, 5:00 pm Saturday 25 February 2012. Any changes made after that date may apply to State or Federal elections but will not affect your local government entitlement. This means that it is important to update your enrolment by Saturday 25 February 2012. What voting system is used in Queensland? Undivided councils use a First Past the Post voting system. In councils with internal divisions or wards Optional Preferential Voting applies. For further information see the OPV or FPTP fact sheets. What happens if I don't vote? Voting is compulsory for State and Local Government elections. If you don't vote you will receive a Failure to Vote notice. If you are unable to provide a valid reason for not voting you will be required to pay a fine. How do I know where I can vote? In councils that have full postal voting, your ballot material will be posted to you after the close of nominations. In other councils you can vote: at a polling booth in your electoral district on Election Day; as an early voter at a pre-poll centre; by post; or if you are ill or infirm, by arranging for a polling official to visit your home. Please note: Local Government legislation does not permit absent voting. Can I still vote if I'm interstate or overseas on polling day? Yes. You can apply for a postal vote. You may also be able to have a pre-poll vote depending upon when you leave. If it is unlikely that ballot material will not reach your overseas address in time to vote, it would still be advisable to notify the Commission of your reason for not voting. My friend/relative needs assistance when voting. Am I able to assist them? Yes. If an elector requires assistance they are able to choose a person to assist them. They may also ask a Polling Official at a polling booth for assistance. Because of my religious beliefs I do not vote. Will I still be fined? No, provided you write to us stating your reason for not voting. You must include your full name, date of birth, address, and signature. Please note that you must still be correctly enrolled. Where can I vote before polling day? Details of pre-poll offices will be available on our website after the election is announced. Who can apply for a postal vote? You can apply for a postal vote if on polling day, you: will be interstate or overseas or more than 8km from a polling booth will be working or travelling under conditions that will prevent voting at a polling booth are a member of a religious order or have religious beliefs that prevent you from attending a polling booth on polling day have an illness, disability or are in the advanced stages of pregnancy or are caring for a person who is ill, has a disability or is in the advanced stages of pregnancy. What is an electoral visit vote? An Electoral Officer will come to your home at an arranged time to take your vote. You will need to complete the Postal Vote/Electoral Visit Vote application form and select the 'Electoral Visitor Vote' box.
I have changed address. Do I need to fill out a new enrolment form? How do I find out where I am currently enrolled ? Can I enrol after the official close of rolls? What voting system is used in Local Government elections?What happens if I don't vote? How do I know where I can vote? Can I still vote if I'm interstate or overseas on Election Day? My friend/relative needs assistance when voting. Am I able to assist them? Because of my religious beliefs I do not vote. Will I still be fined? Where can I vote before polling day? Who can apply for a postal vote? What is an electoral visit vote?
Who is eligible to enrol and vote for Queensland State and Local Government elections?
Any person who:
You may provisionally enrol when you are 16, but you will not be able to vote until your 18th birthday.
I have changed address. Do I need to fill out a new enrolment form?
You can update your address details online as long as you can supply your driver's licence details, click here.
If you are not currently enrolled or do not have a driver's licence you will need to fill out an enrolment form, click here to access the form.
How do I find out where I am currently enrolled?
You can check your enrolment to find the Federal, State and Local Government areas you are enrolled for.
Can I enrol after the official close of rolls?
For local government elections your enrolment and voting entitlement will be as at the Close of Rolls, 5:00 pm Saturday 25 February 2012. Any changes made after that date may apply to State or Federal elections but will not affect your local government entitlement. This means that it is important to update your enrolment by Saturday 25 February 2012.
What voting system is used in Queensland?
Undivided councils use a First Past the Post voting system.
In councils with internal divisions or wards Optional Preferential Voting applies. For further information see the OPV or FPTP fact sheets.
What happens if I don't vote?
Voting is compulsory for State and Local Government elections. If you don't vote you will receive a Failure to Vote notice. If you are unable to provide a valid reason for not voting you will be required to pay a fine.
How do I know where I can vote?
In councils that have full postal voting, your ballot material will be posted to you after the close of nominations.
In other councils you can vote:
Please note: Local Government legislation does not permit absent voting.
Can I still vote if I'm interstate or overseas on polling day?
Yes. You can apply for a postal vote. You may also be able to have a pre-poll vote depending upon when you leave. If it is unlikely that ballot material will not reach your overseas address in time to vote, it would still be advisable to notify the Commission of your reason for not voting.
My friend/relative needs assistance when voting. Am I able to assist them?
Yes. If an elector requires assistance they are able to choose a person to assist them. They may also ask a Polling Official at a polling booth for assistance.
Because of my religious beliefs I do not vote. Will I still be fined?
No, provided you write to us stating your reason for not voting. You must include your full name, date of birth, address, and signature. Please note that you must still be correctly enrolled.
Where can I vote before polling day?
Details of pre-poll offices will be available on our website after the election is announced.
Who can apply for a postal vote?
You can apply for a postal vote if on polling day, you:
What is an electoral visit vote?
An Electoral Officer will come to your home at an arranged time to take your vote. You will need to complete the Postal Vote/Electoral Visit Vote application form and select the 'Electoral Visitor Vote' box.