Council elections

Every 4 years, residents and ratepayers in each of Tasmania’s 29 municipal (council) areas elect councillors to represent them. Each council has between 7 and 12 councillors, including a mayor and deputy mayor.

Local government elections are held by full postal ballot. This means that voters do not attend a polling place to vote, like they do for State and Federal elections. Instead, information required to vote is sent directly to each voter’s address.

You must be enrolled to vote in a municipal area to participate in a local government election.

Voting in council elections is compulsory.

Tasmanian Local Government elections were last held in October 2022 to elect the councils of the 29 local government areas.

Full election results are published on the Tasmanian Electoral Commission website.

Term of office

The term of office for councillors, including mayors and deputy mayors, is 4 years. This means that councillors who were elected in 2022 will remain in office until the next statewide local government elections in 2026.

Details about current elected members, including mayors, deputy mayors and councillors are available on each council’s website by accessing the Tasmanian Council Directory.

Why stand for election?

Standing for election provides an opportunity to positively influence the future of your local community.

Councillors are elected by the community, for the community. Being a councillor is a privileged position and can be very rewarding, both personally and professionally.

As part of the council, councillors are able to make decisions that improve and promote the interests of the community in areas such as public infrastructure, services and facilities, including roads, rubbish collection and sports grounds.

If you are thinking about standing for council election, there is a range of resources available to help you with your decision:

Why must I vote in local government elections?

Compulsory voting ensures councils reflect the communities they serve. Councillors are elected to represent the interests of the community, and they make many decisions about the infrastructure, services and facilities provided to their communities, often involving significant amounts of money. Voting in local government elections is an is an important way of having your say on local issues.

It is important that the people elected to form a council have a variety of skills and expertise and provide good representation of the communities they serve.

People should vote for the candidates that they believe will provide the range of skills needed to make the best decisions in the interests of their community.

Resources and related information