The association has submitted the proposal as part of a Local Government Electoral Regulations review.

Local Government Victoria wants to change the regulations so candidate preferences are no longer allowed in postal packs sent to voters.

It believes doing so creates a conflict of interest for the Victorian Electoral Commission, by distributing candidate preferences in the same packs as election ballot papers.

It also believes preference recommendations are a campaigning tool for candidates, and allowing them in postal packs lets candidates campaign at no cost.

However the municipal association disagrees with the proposal, and wrote to councils seeking feedback on its position.

Currently, councils have the option whether to include preferences in the packs.

Horsham council’s corporate services director Graeme Harrison said council was worried including ‘how to vote’ cards encouraged ‘dummy’ candidates standing to gain preferences for another candidate.

Cr Pam Clarke agreed.

“I think if people want to give out how to vote cards, they should distribute them themselves. It is not up to the electoral commission to tell people how to vote on my behalf,” she said.

“I think the preferences people put on those cards are absolutely terrible.

“This council has done a brilliant job over the years in not having preferences.

“I’ve seen it happen in some rural councils where a whole family came in on a block of preferences, which paralysed the council completely because there was only one view being considered at meetings.

“I absolutely believe how to vote cards should not be in the pack, and I’m dead against preferences as well.”

Other proposed regulation changes include allowing councillors to answer questions about their ability to serve in local government. The Victorian Electoral Commission would make the answers available to voters to compare candidate information ‘like for like’. 

The review also seeks to extend the period for postal votes to be received up to nine days after an election.

Cr Tony Phelan successfully moved a motion to allow the latter.

He said changes to Australia Post this year meant letters now took far longer to arrive, and extending the deadline would ensure delays did not affect ballots.

“It’s nothing new – the nine days already exists for state elections, so all it’s doing it bringing municipal elections into line with state ones,” he said.

“It might stretch out the time it takes to determine the election outcome, but it doesn’t really change the validity of the vote, because a vote only goes into the account depending on its post stamp.”

Cr Robin Barber was concerned about councillors answering questions.

“Who is going to draft these questions, and what are they going to ask?”

“’Have you read the Holy Bible? Did you read in detail the council budget last year?’

“Who is going to justify what are questions that indicate a capacity to be a councillor?”