Enrolling to vote
In a Victorian local council election there are 2 types of voters:
- State-enrolled
- Council-enrolled
You have 1 vote in Hume. 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 Hume for longer than 1 month
For more information visit the VEC website, phone 1300 805 478 or email info@vec.vic.gov.au
Council-enrolled voters (ratepayers)
Some ratepayers can apply to become council-enrolled voters in Hume, if they are:
- a property owner, occupier or represent a corporation
- 18 or older
- not a State-enrolled voter within the Hume 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 Hume, if you:
- own property and pay rates in the council area
- are 18 or older
- are not a state-enrolled voter who lives in Hume
This includes:
- Australian citizens who own a property in Hume 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 Hume
Up to 2 ratepayers can apply to enrol per property, but each person only gets 1 vote.
Enrol as an owner ratepayer
You may also download a printable form(PDF, 65KB), read carefully and complete the form in full. You can return the signed form by emailing contactus@hume.vic.gov.au.
Occupier ratepayers
You can apply to enrol in Hume, 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.
Enrol as an occupier ratepayer
You may also download a printable form(PDF, 67KB), read carefully and complete the form in full. You can return the signed form by emailing contactus@hume.vic.gov.au.
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 1 person can apply to enrol as the corporation’s representative.
Enrol to vote on behalf of a corporation
You may also download a printable form(PDF, 71KB), read carefully and complete the form in full. You can return the signed form by emailing contactus@hume.vic.gov.au.
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 by emailing contactus@hume.vic.gov.au.
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).
The Hume 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
For information about Victorian elections, visit the VEC website.