Toowoomba Regional Council (TRC) will apply to have the 2024 local government election conducted by postal ballot for all areas within the Toowoomba Region.
Due to the large size of the Region, TRC Finance and Business Strategy Committee Chair Cr Geoff McDonald said Council supported postal voting.
“Since Covid, residents habits have changed and people are much more used to doing things like this remotely,” Cr McDonald said.
“Considering the size of the Region and the large amount of polling booths required for the election, we think it would be more appropriate to have postal votes for the community.
“As well as there being less resources required for all of the individual polling booths, a postal vote would be the most cost effective option for our Region.”
Under section 45 of the Local Government Electoral Act 2011, a local government can apply before 1 May in the year preceding the quadrennial election to the Minister for Local Government for a poll to be conducted only by postal ballot for:
- all of the local government’s area; or
- one or more divisions of its area; or
- a part of its area marked on a map.
It is important to note that whether the Toowoomba Regional Council can undertake a postal vote will be at the discretion of the Minister for Local Government. Council will keep the public updated on the outcome of its application for a postal vote, which is anticipated to be known in the second half of this year.
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