Election FAQs

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

The next City of Fremantle Local Government Election will be held on Saturday 16 October 2027.

The elections will be conducted by the Western Australian Electoral Commission (WAEC) as a postal election. Election Packages containing information on the candidates, instructions on how to vote, the ballot paper, and the return envelopes will be posted to electors about three weeks before the Election Day.

Votes will be counted after 6pm on Election Day.

As soon as the Western Australian Electoral Commission can finalise the counting of votes.

Optional preferential voting is the voting system used in Local government elections. This means you have the choice to number the candidates in the order of your preference. You do not have to number all the boxes if you don’t want to.

You have the choice to:

• vote for one candidate – by putting a 1 next to their name
• vote for some candidates – by numbering several candidates in the order of your preference
• vote for all candidates – in the order of your preference

If no candidate receives enough votes to equal the absolute majority on first preferences, the candidate with the least number of votes is excluded and the preferences distributed to the remaining candidates. This process is repeated until a candidate has enough votes to be elected.

The Western Australian Electoral Commission and the City of Fremantle will be conducting the count using the CountWA computer software.

For any other information or for more detail on a particular topic contact

T 1300 MY FREO (1300 693 736)
E elections@fremantle.wa.gov.au

Or further information can be obtained by visiting Western Australian Electoral Commission

Caretaker restrictions will apply from 4pm of the last day of candidate nominations for the local government ordinary election.

Section 3.73 of the Local Government Act 1995 (the Act) prohibits Local Governments from doing, or deciding to do, any ‘significant acts’ during a caretaker period. Significant acts are specified in s. 3.73 of the Act and r.3A of the Functions and General Regulations, including:

• Making a local law (including an amendment or repeal local law)
• Entering into, renewing or terminating, the employment contract of the CEO or a senior employee
• Entering into a major land transaction, or a land transaction that is preparatory to entry into a major land transaction
• Commencing a major trading undertaking
• Entering into a contract, or other agreement or arrangement, with consideration over $250,000 or acquiring or disposing of property valued over $250,000
• Calling for tenders, or tender exempt procurement (including through the PSP), with an expected consideration above $250,000
• Establishing, amending the establishment agreement of, winding up or withdrawing from, a regional local government
• Forming, amending the charter of, winding up, or withdrawing from, a regional subsidiary
• Making prescribed decisions under the Planning and Development Act 2005 and Planning and Development (Local Planning Scheme) Regulations 2015
• Publicly inviting persons to apply to join a panel of pre-qualified suppliers
• Deciding to do any of the above