2020 council elections report
Our report into the 2020 council elections details the numbers and trend of complaints we received before, during and after the election period.
During the elections:
- complaints doubled in 2020 - up to 848 from 409 in 2016
- we handled 36 complaints a day during the election period
- we issued 139 warnings
- we provided advice or achieved voluntary compliance in 23 cases.
Social media drove an increase in complaints and were related to a third of all complaints. Social media complaints tripled from 78 in 2016 to 266 in 2020.
Read the full report online or download a copy:
Media releases and news items
Authorising social media posts
Media and candidate guidance for Victorian council elections
Making it easy for Victorians to report wrongdoing in local government
Transparency and integrity of campaign funding
2016 council elections report
Our report on the 2016 council elections highlights key election issues, challenges and outcomes from an integrity perspective.
During the elections:
- 2,135 candidates nominated themselves for 637 vacancies
- 409 formal complaints were received, ranging from minor campaign material offences, to serious corruption allegations that would undermine the democratic system
Read the full report:
2016 Wyndham City Council elections
During council elections we receive a larger number of complaints from municipalities with a high number of candidate nominations. There were 95 candidates running for Wyndham City Council in the October 2016 election. Community members submitted complaints about the eligibility of candidates, during and after the election. We completed an investigated and published the findings in the final report:
Election period policy review
We completed a review following changes to the Local Government Act 1989 in November 2015. The inclusion of section 93B into the Act required all councils to adopt an election period policy by 31 March 2016.
The policy helps:
- the community understand the procedures each council will adopt during the election period to ensure the fairness of the election
- with appropriate use of council resources
- prevent inappropriate decision making
The policy must be provided to all current councillors and be published on the council website.
Updated