Australian local elections
The 2024 Queensland local elections were held on 16 March 2024 to elect the mayors and councils of the 77 local government areas in Queensland, Australia.[1][2]
The original scheduled elections date of 30 March 2024 was moved ahead to 16 March to avoid clashing with Easter holidays.[3]
The elections were held on the same day as the state by-elections in Inala and Ipswich West.
There was a surprisingly large number of candidates elected unopposed in many council elections across Queensland, including some mayoral races. The lack of opposition to these candidates was criticised by experts as being bad for democracy.[4]
Electoral systems
Mayors and single-member wards
All 77 councils use optional preferential voting (OPV) for mayoral elections. Under OPV, voters are only required to vote for one candidates, although they can choose to preference other candidates.[5]
In the 22 councils that use single-member wards (including Brisbane and the Gold Coast) OPV is also used.[6]
Multi-member wards
Only Ipswich uses multi-member wards, with four two-member wards (resulting in eight total councillors).[7]
No form of preferential voting is in place, with plurality block voting (also referred to as first-past-the-post by the Electoral Commission) is instead used, where voters are only required to mark the same amount of candidates as there are positions to be elected − in the case of Ipswich, two candidates.[8][9]
Undivided councils
54 councils are undivided, meaning they do not use any forms of wards and all councillors are elected in a single area representing the entire LGA.[10]
Plurality block voting is used for these councils.[8]
Candidates
1,422 candidates nominated for the elections at the close of nominations on 14 February 2024.[11]
Steve "Jacko" Jackson, a former rugby league footballer, is running for mayor of Mackay. Former MP George Christensen is contesting Mackay Regional Council as a candidate for Jackson's Mackay First ticket.[12]
Another former federal MP, Andrew Laming, is running for mayor of Redland. On 25 January 2024, he confirmed he had dropped his Liberal National Party (LNP) membership, saying it had "no place" at a local level".[13]15 mayoral positions and 46 councillor positions were uncontested.[11]
On 21 February, the LNP disendorsed Brisbane City Council candidate Brock Alexander after comments he allegedly made about the parents of Daniel Morecombe came to light. Alexander was a candidate for Deagon Ward, and his name will still appear on the ballot as he was disendorsed after the close of nominations.[14]
An analysis from the ABC found that over 10% of independents in the elections were members of a political party.[15]
A large % of council positions were uncontested with only one candidate running.[16][17]
Party changes before elections
A number of councillors joined, left or formed parties before the 2024 elections.
Results
All changes compared with the 2020 elections.
Council control
See also
Notes
References
- ^ "2024 local government elections". Electoral Commission of Queensland. 22 March 2024.
- ^ "Council candidates 2024". Queensland Greens. Archived from the original on 12 January 2024.
- ^ Kerr, Judith; McCormack, Madura (1 April 2023). "Council election moved to new date in March before Easter holidays in 2024". The Courier-Mail.
- ^ Messenger, Andrew (23 February 2024). "Politicians standing unopposed in local Queensland elections bad for democracy, expert says". The Guardian.
- ^ Green, Antony (23 February 2024). "Election Preview". ABC News.
- ^ "Is my council a divided, multi-member divided or undivided council?" (PDF). Electoral Commission of Queensland.
- ^ "How Ipswich will be divided after next council election". Brisbane Times. 11 July 2019.
- ^ a b "First-past-the-post voting". Electoral Commission of Queensland. 9 December 2019.
- ^ "Qld Local Government". ABC News.
- ^ "Govt makes new Mackay council undivided". ABC News. 28 September 2007.
- ^ a b "1,422 candidates to contest the 2024 local government elections". Electoral Commission of Queensland. 6 March 2024. Archived from the original on 9 March 2024.
- ^ "Steve 'Jacko' Jackson's Mackay First team: Meet the candidates". The Courier Mail.
- ^ "Dr Laming confirms mayoral candidacy". Redland City News. 24 January 2024. Archived from the original on 29 January 2024. Retrieved 29 January 2024.
- ^ "LNP disendorses Deagon Ward candidate Brock Alexander over 'past comments'". The Courier Mail.
- ^ "When card-carrying political party members call themselves independent candidates, when does the spin stop?". ABC News. 10 March 2024.
- ^ Messenger, Andrew (23 February 2024). "Politicians standing unopposed in local Queensland elections bad for democracy, expert says". The Guardian.
- ^ "It's a well-paid job so why are fewer people nominating for local councils?". ABC News. 8 March 2024.
- ^ "GLENN MARK TOZER". Electoral Commission of Queensland. 28 March 2020.
- ^ "I was a member of the LNP for 6 years and am now fiercely independent". Vote 1 Glenn Tozer.
- ^ "Councillor Rob Pyne: 'Democratic socialism is getting a wider hearing' | Green Left". www.greenleft.org.au. 23 September 2020. Retrieved 6 December 2023.
- ^ "Redland Mayor Karen Williams applies for LNP membership, considers running for Bowman seat in federal election". Redland City Bulletin. 17 May 2021.
- ^ "Vocal councillor quits LNP over Covid to be anti-vax 'poster boy'". Cairns Post.
- ^ "Meet the candidates for Division 7". Moreton Daily.
- ^ "YVONNE MARGARET BARLOW". Electoral Commission of Queensland. 2024.
- ^ "Nomination for Mayor or Councillor". Electoral Commission of Queensland.
- ^ "Eden to run for mayor". Cairns Local News.
- ^ "Mayoral candidate Amy Eden loses team member and Division 7 council candidate Sam Byrd". Cairns Post.
- ^ a b c d "Mackay councillors to break from Mayor Greg Williamson's alliance in 2024". The Courier Mail.
