Information for Election Nominees

Candidate Information Session

Ahead of the opening of nominations for the 2025 Local Government Elections, WALGA, along with the Department of Local Government, Industry Regulation and Safety (LGIRS) and the WA Electoral Commission hosted a Candidate information webinar on 18 August 2025. The webinar saw a diverse range of topics discussed, with the aim of informing and preparing candidates on the upcoming electoral process.

Online workshop for Women running in upcoming Local Government Elections

Women for Election, in partnership with the Department of Local Government, Industry Regulation and Safety (LGIRS) and WALGA, is hosting an online workshop to inspire and educate women ahead of the upcoming Local Government Elections in October.

Join online on Monday, 25 August and Monday, 1 September to learn about campaigning for Local Government.

Please register for the workshop here.
 

Required Steps

To nominate for the position of Councillor, you will need to complete the nomination process. 

1. Complete the compulsory online candidate induction 
2. Complete the nomination form on the WAEC website 
3. Prepare your Candidate Profile to include with your nomination - up to 1,000 characters (including spaces)
4. Make an appointment with the Returning Officer (contact 9397 3046)
5. Submit your completed nomination form and pay the $100 deposit

Additional Information

• If an agent is lodging a nomination form on behalf of a candidate, a form with the written consent of the candidate must be included
• Candidates may provide a written statement in English of up to 2,000 characters (including spaces) with their nomination paper (optional)
• A candidate information webinar may be held closer to the election date
• All nominations must be directed to the Returning Officer appointed by the WAEC

Who Can Nominate

To stand for election as a Councillor, you must:

• be 18 years of age or older
• be an elector of the district, or an owner/occupier (if you are only an elector because you are a nominee of a company then you are not eligible to stand)
• if you are a current Councillor, have a term of office that ends on Election Day
• not be disqualified by anything listed below.

Disqualifications

You are not eligible to nominate if you:

• are a member of a State or Federal Parliament
• are a member of the Council of another local government
• are an insolvent under administration
• are in prison serving a sentence for a crime
• have been convicted of a serious local government offence within the last five years (unless the court waived the disqualification)
• have been convicted on indictment of an offence for which the indictable penalty was, or included:
  • imprisonment for life, or
  • imprisonment for more than five years
• are subject to a court order disqualifying them from being a member of a Council because they have misapplied local government funds or property
• are a nominee of a body corporate
• propose standing for two positions on Council (unless standing for Mayor as well as Councillor)
• are currently disqualified by the State Administrative Tribunal from holding office as a member of a Council.

Mayor

The Mayor's responsibilities include:

• Presiding at Council meetings
• Carrying out civic and ceremonial duties (such as conducting citizenship ceremonies)
• Speaking on behalf of the local government
• Liaising with the CEO on local government affairs and functions
• Providing leadership and guidance to the community

Note: The current Mayor of the City of Gosnells is Mayor Terresa Lynes, whose term expires on 15 October 2027. The position of Mayor is not available for nomination until the 2027 election.

Councillor

The role of Councillors is to:

• Provide leadership and facilitate communication between Council and community members
• Represent the interests of electors, ratepayers and residents
• Participate in decision-making processes at regular Council meetings

More information on the role of a Council member is available from the Department of Local Government, Sport & Cultural Industries (DLGSC) website.

Gift Disclosures

• A Disclosure of Gift Form is required if you are a candidate and receive a gift during an election campaign  - this applies to electoral related gifts promised or received within the six months prior to polling day
• Applies to gifts over $300
• Candidates must complete the form within three days of the gift being received or promised (after nominations are made)
• A copy of the form is available at Election Disclosure Gift Form

Election Signage

If you intend to erect election signage as part of your campaign, please be aware that the City's Local Laws have a number of requirements for the placement of election signage.

Political Advertising

If you are nominating to be a candidate, make sure to review guidelines for political advertising on social media channels to avoid serious consequences that may affect your campaign.

TikTok advertising

Meta advertising

• Governance Team: 9397 3046 
• Western Australian Electoral Commission: 13 63 06