Local government electoral review - reports

Following a review of Victoria\u27s local government electoral system, the Victorian Government is seeking feedback on 55 recommendations contained in these two reports. The Local Government Electoral Review Panel\u27s recommendations have the stated intention of strengthing local democracy in Victoria, addressing issues such as "dummy candidates", transparency over potential conflicts of interest, caps on donations and other measures to esnure integrity. Feedback closes on Monday 3 November 2014. Find out about participating in the public consultation here. Terms of reference The Panel was charged with the responsibility of conducting a review and providing advice to the Minister for Local Government on the following subjects. 1. Electoral process Whether improvements can be made to ensure the integrity of the electoral process, including addressing matters raised in the course of the 2012 election including, but not limited to, the following: a) candidate integrity, including issues regarding ‘dummy’ candidates, information disclosure, existing candidacy requirements, campaign funding and disclosure b) the role of the Victorian Electoral Commission in electoral administration and cost implications of this for councils, complaint handling and timeliness in responding. 2. Participation Whether improvements can be made to ensure the highest level of participation in local government elections, including: a) improving public understanding and awareness of elections and candidates b) consistency and promoting greater understanding of voter eligibility rules c) use of postal and attendance voting and impact on informal voting d) franchise and eligibility provisions. 3. Integrity Whether any other changes can be made that will enhance the integrity of local government elections, candidate conduct and governance. 4. Electoral representation Whether the current system of electoral representation is appropriate to ensure fairness and consistency of representation within municipalities and between municipalities including: a) distribution of wards b) different ballot counting systems (proportional and preferential) across municipalities