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A reminder that this Saturday, 21 October is election day for local governments across Western Australia, so we are urging eligible voters to return their ballots by 6pm that day by delivering them to their local government offices before 4pm today or on Saturday. It is now too late to mail-in postal votes. Polling places, usually local government offices, will be open from 8am to 6pm this Saturday for in-person voting. Any voters who have not already voted can attend in-person to request a new ballot, even if they have previously discarded postal ballots sent to them.

We urge all eligible to make their vote count and have a say on who represents them and their community on their local council.

Landmark local government reforms have come into effect at these elections. Electors across all 44 of the State's largest local governments now have the opportunity to directly elect their mayor or shire president — with a record 35 such elections currently being held.

Optional preferential voting has been implemented, to give ratepayers the greatest possible say on who represents them on their local council. Under the new voting system, voters can either vote for one candidate by putting a 1 next to their name or vote for several or all candidates by numbering in order of their preference.

New backfilling rules mean if a council member resigns within one year of being elected, the resulting vacancy can be backfilled if there is an eligible next highest-polling candidate from the recent election.