NOMINATIONS for the 11 seats on Mornington Peninsula Shire Council open on Thursday and close midday next Tuesday (20 September).
A list of candidates in ballot paper order will be available on the Victorian Electoral Commission website late Tuesday afternoon.
The Saturday 22 October election will be conducted by post with candidate statements and photographs published online from Monday 26 September.
The close of nominations signals the shire going into “caretaker mode” – a 32-day period which bans the current council making “inappropriate decisions” or “those that would affect voting at an election or decisions that may unreasonably bind an incoming council and could reasonably be deferred until after the election”.
The ban prevents shire staff and resources being used for election campaigning “or in a way that may improperly influence the result of an election”.
The shire has six wards, with two (Briars and Seawinds) having three councillors each, Nepean has two councillors and Cerberus, Watson and Red Hill each have one councillor.
Ballot papers to be posted by 6 pm Friday 21 October and counting starting on Saturday 22 October.
Winners will be announced at 4pm Wednesday 2 November.
VEC senior communication officer Lawson Fletcher said information about candidates “will be progressively made available on the VEC website from Thursday”.
Information about candidates at the shire’s elections will be at vec.vic.gov.au/Elections/2016LocalCouncilElections
Mr Lawson said the list of candidates will be updated twice-daily each weekday during the nomination period.
After the close of nominations a ballot draw will be held to determine the order that candidates’ names will appear on the ballot paper.
Candidates can complete a questionnaire with answers available on the VEC website from Thursday 22 September.
For attendance elections, the VEC website will note which candidates, groups, individuals or organisations have registered a how-to-vote card from Wednesday 21 September. Registered how-to-vote cards are available for inspection at the relevant election office.
First published in the Western Port News – 13 September 2016
