News release from Victorian Electoral Commission, 26th August 2021
A countback procedure to fill an extraordinary vacancy in Lake Nagambie Ward within Strathbogie Shire Council will take place at 10 am on Wednesday 15 September, following the resignation of Councillor Melanie Likos.
The vacancy will be filled by a countback of all formal votes from the 2020 Strathbogie Shire Council election (instead of voters voting in a by-election). Votes will be redistributed to candidates who were unsuccessful at that general election, and who remain eligible to participate in the countback, to fill the extraordinary vacancy.
‘The countback is based on the proportional representation method of counting. The candidate who achieves the quota will be elected. If no participating candidate achieves the quota, the candidate with the highest number of countback votes will be elected,’ Election Manager Charmaine Morel said.
The countback will be held online via Cisco Webex. A link to the countback will be made available on the VEC website from 9:30 am on Wednesday 15 September, at vec.vic.gov.au
Scrutineers and interested parties may attend and observe the countback.
The result will be published online at vec.vic.gov.au and also in local newspapers.