Victorian Electoral Commission spokesperson Lawson Fletcher said If the public want their say on who represents their local community they must ensure the completed ballot material is in the mail or hand-delivered to the election office by 6pm on Friday.

“Voting in the Northern Grampians Shire Council elections is compulsory for most people aged 18 or over, so vote on time to avoid a fine,” Mr Fletcher said.

A total of 2,539 ballots have been returned for the Northern Grampians Shire Council elections, leaving 2,109 ballots unreturned.

“It’s encouraging to see the majority of voters have returned their ballot papers, and we encourage all those who are still sitting on their ballot packs to act now and get their vote in.”

The election office for Northern Grampians Shire Council is located at Media Centre, Grandstand 1, Central Park, 10-12 Main Street, Stawell.