2024 Council Elections

The Victorian Electoral Commission (VEC) are inviting rate payers in Benalla Rural City Council that reside outside of the local government area to participate in a survey about the upcoming 2024 local council elections. The VEC is interested in feedback from ratepayers to help plan and improve voting services. 

Enrolling as a ratepayer in Benalla Rural City Council

In a Victorian local council election there are two types of voters:

1. State-enrolled

2. Council-enrolled.

You have one vote in Benalla Rural City Council. If you are a state-enrolled voter, that is the enrolment you use to vote.

State-enrolled voters

You must enrol and vote if you:

• are 18 years or older

• are an Australian citizen

• have lived at your address in Benalla Rural City Council for longer than one month.

For more information visit the VEC website

Council-enrolled voters (ratepayers)

Some ratepayers can apply to become council-enrolled voters in Benalla Rural City Council if they are:

• a property owner, occupier or represent a corporation

• 18 or older

• §not a State-enrolled voter within the Benalla Rural City Council area.

These are known as council-enrolled voters.

The rules for council-enrolled voters have changed ahead of the 2024 council elections. These changes are explained below.

Owner ratepayers

You can apply to enrol in Benalla Rural City Council if you:

• own property and pay rates in the council area

• are 18 or older

• are not a state-enrolled voter who lives in Benalla Rural City Council.

  This includes:

• Australian citizens who own a property in Benalla Rural City Council but do not live in the area (for example an investment or a holiday home)

• non-citizens over 18 who own a property and live in Benalla Rural City Council.

Up to 2 ratepayers can apply to enrol per property, but each person only gets one vote.

Occupier ratepayers

You can apply to enrol in Benalla Rural City Council if you:

• pay rates for a property that you occupy but do not own

• are 18 or older

• are not a state-enrolled voter.

Up to 2 people per property can apply to enrol, but each person only gets one vote.

Corporations

You can apply to enrol to vote on behalf of a corporation if you:

• are a director or company secretary of a corporation that pays rates (either as an owner or an occupier) in the council area

• have consented to being appointed as the corporation’s representative

• are not already a state-enrolled voter or council-enrolled voter for the same council.

Only one person can apply to enrol as the corporation’s representative. 

If you meet the criteria

If you meet any of these criteria, you can contact us to apply to enrol.

Once you are enrolled, you must vote for the October 2024 elections and onwards. If you don’t vote, you may get a fine. 

Resigning your enrolment

If you don’t want to vote for that property anymore, you can apply to resign your enrolment.

Expiry of enrolment

Occupier ratepayers’ and corporations’ enrolment expires before the next local government general election.

If you want to continue to vote, you must apply to enrol again before the next local council general election (2028).

Benalla Rural City Council will send you an invitation when it is time to renew your enrolment.

Owner ratepayers’ enrolment does not expire, but they can apply to resign their enrolment.

More information

To apply to become or check if you are a council enrolled voter in Benalla Rural City Council, contact us on 03 5760 2600.

For information about Victorian elections, visit the VEC website.