It's not only the residents of Rockhampton and Townsville that are lining up to vote in local government by-elections in the next few weeks: the communities of Winton and Barcoo are being called back to the polls as well.
Resignations from first-term councillors in each western local government area - Sandy Gillies in Winton and Ingrid Miller in Barcoo - have brought the fresh elections on.
Under the Local Government Act 2009, when a councillor resigns in the first 12 months of a new term, the council has two options, either to hold a by-election or "give a vacancy notice to the runner-up who is first in the order of priority".
Both Winton and Barcoo councils voted at their December meetings to fill the vacancy through a by-election.
At the time of writing, only Winton voters had a date set for their by-election, which will be held on February 6 by in-person voting.
Four people - Lynda Alcorn, Teonie Stockham, Frank Standfast, and Kerry Turnbull - have nominated for the position.
Ms Stockham contested the March 2020 election, finishing eighth in the poll with 9.45 per cent of the vote, behind Joel Mann on 9.62pc.
Mr Mann had been one of six Winton councillors up until the election.
Winton Mayor Gavin Baskett said he accepted Cr Gillies' resignation with regret, saying she had done a great job representing the shire, both in the community and at council meetings during her nine-month term.
She has taken up the CEO's position with the Western Queensland Primary Health Network.
In a statement tabled at the Barcoo Shire Council's meeting last December, Ingrid Miller said she was resigning, effective January 20, for personal and family reasons.
She received the second highest vote percentage in the March 2020 shire ballot, 15.09pc.
As well as the four councillors elected, four other candidates stood last March - George Gorringe, Geoffrey Seawright, Tony Jackson, and Julie Barr-Richards.
On Thursday afternoon the Electoral Commission of Queensland, which will be running both polls, said a date had yet to be confirmed for the by-election in the Barcoo shire.
It will be a full postal vote.
Sally Gall
Based at Blackall, CW Qld, where I've raised a family, run Merino sheep and beef cattle, and helped develop a region - its history, tourism, education and communications. Get in touch at 0427 575 955 if you've got a story idea for me.
Based at Blackall, CW Qld, where I've raised a family, run Merino sheep and beef cattle, and helped develop a region - its history, tourism, education and communications. Get in touch at 0427 575 955 if you've got a story idea for me.
