Elections
Councils have a significant impact on the lives of all Tasmanians. They provide a wide range of services for the wellbeing of the community. These enable the economic, social and cultural development of the community, supporting individuals and groups.
Elected Members play a vital leadership role. They work together to create and implement their community's vision, strategic direction and the values within which they operate.
Lord Mayors, Deputy Lord Mayors and Elected Members are all elected for four-year terms. Mayors and Deputy Mayors are popularly elected.
2026 Local Government elections
Local government elections will be held in October 2026 to fill councillor, mayor and deputy mayor positions for all 29 local councils statewide. Voting is compulsory.
Candidate nominations will open on Monday 7 September and close on Monday 21 September 2026.
The elections are administered by the Tasmanian Electoral Commission (TEC). You can learn more about the elections on the TEC website.
You can also find more information on the Local Government Association of Tasmania (LGAT) website.
Local Government Amendment (Targeted Reform) Act 2026
The Local Government Amendment (Targeted Reform) Act 2026 received Royal Assent on 21 August 2026. A number of time-critical provisions that needed to be in place ahead of the 2026 ordinary council elections – including the changes to councillor numbers – have now commenced.
There will be nine (9) positions going to election for the Hobart City Council.
Other amendments can be downloaded here(PDF, 70KB).
Election signage
Requirements for the placement of election signage can be found on our website.
Under the planning scheme, election signage can be erected from 1 September 2026 and must be removed by 3 November 2026.
No election signage should be placed on Council owned or controlled land. Find more information in our Election Signage Policy document.
General Manager's (GM) roll
To enrol for the General Manager's (GM) roll, you must be a:
- resident who is not on the State Electoral Roll (for instance non-Australian citizens)
- non-resident owner or occupier of property in the Hobart municipal area
- the nominee of a corporate body.
To register for the GM roll, you must fill out the form which applies to you:
General Manager's Roll Enrolment Form - Individual(PDF, 36KB) (for both residents not on the electoral roll, and for non-resident owners or occupiers)
General Manager's Roll Enrolment Form - Corporate(PDF, 37KB)
If you occupy a property in the Hobart municipal area, you will need to provide a supporting document which shows your name and current address. For example, your drivers licence, a utility bill, lease agreement, or letter from the landlord.
If you have any questions please contact us.
Please send completed forms and supporting residency documentation to the City of Hobart by:
Important: The General Manager’s Electoral Roll closes at 6.00 pm on Thursday, 10 September 2026.
- To be eligible to vote in the 2026 Local Government elections, completed enrolment forms must be received before the Roll closes.
- If you are enrolling as an occupier of a property in the Hobart municipal area, you must also provide the required supporting document showing your name and current address.
- Incomplete applications cannot be accepted and you will not be eligible to vote in the upcoming Local Government elections.