A VEC statement said a countback procedure to fill the “extraordinary vacancy” within Ararat Rural City Council will take place at 10.30am on November 29.

The countback will identify the candidate who ended up one spot below gaining a seat on council during the 2016 election.

Mr Hooper resigned on Wednesday after his defeat in a statutory meeting vote to elect the Ararat Rural City mayor and deputy mayor for 2017-18.

Cr Glenda McLean was voted mayor and Cr Gwenda Allgood was voted deputy mayor during the confrontational meeting on Tuesday that prompted protests and walkouts.

The countback will take place at the Ararat and Grampians Visitor Information Centre (Meeting Room A), 91 High Street, Ararat.

The vacancy will be filled by a countback of the vacating councillor’s votes from the 2016 Ararat Rural City Council election.

Candidates David Pettman, Bernardine Atkinson, Glenda McLean, Gary Hull, Fay Hull, Darren Ford, Frank Deutsch, Murray Winston Woods, Peter Beales, Gwenda Allgood, Bill Braithwaite, Jo Armstrong and Paul Hooper contested the 2016 Ararat Rural City Council election.

VEC Returning Officer Philippa Heskett said the countback process would be used instead of residents voting in a by-election.

“These votes will be distributed to the unsuccessful candidates in last year’s election, according to voters’ preferences.

“The candidate who gains more than 50 per cent of the countback votes will be elected,.”

Members of the public and other interested parties can attend and observe the countback.

The result will be published online at vec.vic.gov.au and also in newspapers.

The 2016 election saw 7291 Ararat Rural City residents vote, representing 78.97 per cent of those enrolled, and 5.77 per cent of ballots were ruled to be informal.