Brimbank residents will have to wait a little longer for a return to democracy.
Brimbank council’s 11 newly elected representatives may not be known until at least a fortnight after the October 22 election.
And there could be shades of July’s federal result with Brimbank’s vote going postal.
A Victorian Electoral Commission spokesman said Brimbank’s new councillors would be known, and named on the VEC website, between October 31 and November 4.
“The new extended postal vote receipt period means we need to reset our thinking around results, and expect them roughly a week later than was previously the case,” the spokesman said. “Results can only be determined once all ballot papers able to be admitted are received and counted, so results will not be available until after [October 28].
“This is distinct to previous council elections, where results were often available during the election weekend, or shortly thereafter.”
Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull was not declared the country’s elected leader until a week after this year’s July 2 poll, while the federal seat of Herbert did not have an official winner until July 31, when Labor’s Cathy O’Toole won a recount by just 37 votes.
Brimbank’s first election since the council was sacked in 2008 was initially planned for March last year. In 2014, the then Denis Napthine government decided to shift the date to coincide with all other Victorian council elections.
Brimbank residents will be able to vote from the start of October, with voting packs to be mailed out between October 3 and 6. Ballots must be mailed back by 6pm on October 21, the night before the election. But the VEC will accept postal ballots that were mailed before the close of voting until noon on October 28.
The VEC cannot begin counting until after 6pm on October 21.
