Local government elections

The 2024 local government elections will include elections for mayors and councillors in each of Queensland’s 77 councils.

Election day will be on Saturday, 16 March 2024.

So you want to be a councillor or mayor?

By becoming a councillor, or even just running for election, you can make a positive difference to your local community. Queensland’s councils need councillors and mayors that reflect the diversity of our communities.

To run for mayor or councillor at the 2024 quadrennial election, you must complete the ‘So you want to be a Councillor’ course within six months of the nomination period commencing, regardless of whether you are a sitting mayor or councillor, or whether you have never been elected before.

For more information on candidate obligations, visit the Electoral Commission Queensland website.

Local Government Electoral and Other Legislation (Expenditure Caps) Amendment Act 2023

The  Local Government Electoral and Other Legislation (Expenditure Caps) Amendment Act 2023 (the Act) was passed by the Queensland Parliament on 18 April 2023 and received assent on 2 May 2023. Relevant provisions of the Act commence on 28 June 2023.

The Act amends local government legislation  to implement an electoral expenditure caps scheme (the scheme) for local government elections.

The electoral cap scheme will apply to the March 2024 elections being held across Queensland.

• The caps are tiered to take into consideration the number of electors in local government areas.
• For Mayoral candidates, caps range from $30,000 in council areas with 30,000 or fewer electors through to $1.3 million for the Brisbane City Council.
• Expenditure caps for councillor candidates range from $15,000 for council areas with 20,000 or fewer electors up to $55,000 for Brisbane City Council wards.
• The scheme applies for the seven months prior to a quadrennial election, and from the day a by-election notice is published, through to polling day.

Find out more about the local government electoral expenditure caps scheme.

Local Government Electoral Regulation 2023

The Local Government Electoral Regulation 2023 (LGER 2023), commences on 28 June 2023, repeals and replaces the Local Government Electoral Regulation 2012 (LGER 2012).

The LGER 2023 includes updates to the LGER 2012 as follows:

1. fixing 16 March 2024 as the date of the 2024 local government quadrennial elections
2. supporting the new local government electoral expenditure caps scheme, including approving an updated Electoral Commission of Queensland procedure for electronic lodgement of returns
3. clarifying the categories of electors who can access electronically assisted voting, adding ‘out-of-State voters’ as an additional class of these electors, and approving an updated Electoral Commission of Queensland procedure for electronically assisted voting
4. making minor amendments, most notably to remove obsolete transitional provisions.

The department developed the LGER 2023 through a sunset review of the LGER 2012 in accordance with the Queensland Government Guide to Better Regulation and in consultation with key stakeholders.

Find out more about the new Local Government Electoral Regulation 2023.

Electoral Commission of Queensland

The Electoral Commission of Queensland is the independent authority set up to ensure impartial and democratic elections in Queensland, including local government elections.

The ECQ is responsible for:

• appointing a returning officer for each local government area who is responsible for the conduct of the election for that area, from taking candidate nominations to counting the votes and formally declaring the successful candidates
• managing the electoral roll for voters
• managing candidates’ disclosures of donations and expenditure
• reviewing complaints about candidate conduct.

For more information on elections and candidate obligations contact the Electoral Commission of Queensland.

Election leave

Read about requirements for councillors and council employees who contest elections.

Local government caretaker period

Councils cannot make major policy decisions during the election ‘caretaker’ period near the end of their council term that could bind future elected councils. They also cannot use communications such as newsletters to help the campaigns of current councillors standing for re-election.

The caretaker period applies from the date of the notice of the election until the election is declared.

For more information you can read the Caretaker period for local government elections fact sheet ( 207.5 KB)