The Freemasons Victoria vote being held on Wednesday (21 June 2023) for candidates of the Masonic Council and Commercial Council is the culmination of much work and discussion by Brethren over a number of years. It is important that as many Brethren as possible cast their vote in the proper format.

Emails will be sent by Vero Voting at 9:00am Wednesday to all eligible Brethren, with a link to their own ballot material. Each Brother will be asked: (a) to place one tick against each of 5 names of their preferred candidates for the Masonic Council, (b) to place one tick against each of 3 names of their preferred candidates for the Commercial Council. A phone voting service (1300 703 898) will operate from 11:00am. Voting can take place until 8:15pm.

There are ten candidates for the five positions on the Masonic Council; the five candidates with the most votes will be declared elected on Wednesday night, after voting closes at 8:15pm. There are six candidates for the three positions on the Commercial Council, the three candidates with the most votes will be declared elected. They will all take office from 1 July 2023. This is the first time in some years that an election has been held for those who will govern our Craft. Over the past 4-5 years of debate, members gave the clear direction that it is important that there is a clear mandate for all of those elected representatives.

It is vital that each Brother's votes have 5 ticks for the Masonic Council, and 3 ticks for the Commercial Council. The voting system will not process ballot material with fewer than those numbers (5 and 3 respectively), or with more than those numbers. Please do not waste your vote by trying to lodge an informal ballot.

The voting system does place a responsibility upon each voter to fully participate in the election of the complete number of members for each Council, not just one or two favourites. This empowers all voters and all candidates. Don't penalise the candidates of your choice by selecting less than the required number of candidates; such informal votes cannot be counted.

Over the past years, our organisation has participated in reports, workshops, forums, Zoom meetings, and a statewide roadshow at close to 20 locations. Much energy has been directed at rebuilding the governance of Freemasons Victoria with a structure that is the best available for the 21st Century and beyond. Please participate in Wednesday's vote in the proper way to ensure the best possible outcomes for our Craft.

Fraternally,
MWBro. Anthony Bucca
Grand Master