J anuary holidays are over. With just on six weeks to Election Day, 20 March 1999, interest in local government elections now increases. By this week's end the lengthy process of forming electoral rolls will be concluded with roll certification by Council CEOs. This opens the way for the commencement of nominations for 166 councillor positions forming 20 councils. Prospective candidates have up to a week to make up their minds. Once nominations close, candidates commence over four weeks of campaigning.

Ballot papers for councils conducting postal votes are mailed out alphabetically over three days with voters given up to ten days to consider their choices. Ballot papers must physically be in the possession of the Returning Officer responsible for the election by 6 PM, Friday 19 March to be part of the election.

On the following day, a small, well-oiled army performs its most visible but by no means sole job. At 8 AM, in five councils conducting attendance polls, voting commences in dozens of polling locations. Within an hour in the remaining fifteen councils that conducted postal ballots, the marathon task of vote counting begins. Throughout the day a parallel course of voting in some councils and counting in others occurs.

Attendance voting closes at 6 PM, rapidly followed by the commencement of the counting procedure which will continue well into the night. Results for wards in postal ballot councils come in based on the pre-determined priority of counting. Results for the council-wide District councillors of Melbourne City and Nillumbik Shire (elected by proportional representation) naturally will take longer, potentially involving distributing votes from a multitude of candidates for a number of seats. Furthermore, any close or disputed election result may involve a recount instigated by a request from candidates or a Returning Officer's own initiative.