Elections & voting
Victorian council elections are held every four years, and all voting is by post. The Victorian Electoral Commission (VEC) mails a ballot pack to every enrolled voter. Voting is compulsory for people on the roll, and you may be fined if you don't vote. Ararat Rural City has no wards: all 7 councillors are elected together, by proportional representation.
New to these terms? Read them in plain English
- Ward
- A subdivision of a council area that elects its own councillors.
- How the mayor is chosen
- Either elected directly by voters, or chosen by the councillors.
Election facts
- Next general election
- Saturday 28 October 2028General elections fall on the fourth Saturday in October every 4 years, unless there are exceptional circumstances (VEC Report to Parliament, Oct 2025, p.20).
- Last general election
- Saturday 26 October 2024The VEC finalised the Ararat result on 22 November 2024.
- 2024 result
- Jo Armstrong, Bob Sanders, Teli Kaur, Peter Joyce, Luke Matthew Preston, Bill Waterston and Rob Armstrong elected (in that order)12 candidates for 7 vacancies. Enrolment 8,331; formal votes 6,627; informal 333 (4.78%); turnout 6,960 (83.54% of enrolment); quota 829.
- Changes since 2024
- None — no countback or by-electionThe VEC's council page lists earlier countbacks (2017, 2018 and 2020) and none since the 2024 election (checked Sep 2026).
- If a seat falls vacant
- Usually a countbackIn an unsubdivided council, a vacancy is normally filled by recounting the 2024 votes among the unelected candidates who choose to take part.Countbacks and by-elections →
- Enrol / check enrolment
- Victorian Electoral CommissionProperty owners and occupiers who aren't on the state roll for the municipality may be able to enrol as council voters; the council's 'Enrolling as a Ratepayer' page and the VEC explain who is eligible.Check enrolment →
| Candidate | First preferences | Share | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| ARMSTRONG, Jo | 1,757 | 26.51% | Elected (1st) |
| KAUR, Teli | 743 | 11.21% | Elected (3rd) |
| SANDERS, Bob | 688 | 10.38% | Elected (2nd) |
| PRESTON, Luke Matthew | 663 | 10.00% | Elected (5th) |
| JOYCE, Peter | 592 | 8.93% | Elected (4th) |
| MEAD, Amanda | 497 | 7.50% | Not elected |
| WATERSTON, Bill | 486 | 7.33% | Elected (6th) |
| ARMSTRONG, Rob | 343 | 5.18% | Elected (7th) |
| SCHERGER, Daryl | 286 | 4.32% | Not elected |
| KOKCU, Osman | 258 | 3.89% | Not elected |
| BEALES, Peter | 180 | 2.72% | Not elected |
| TIPPING, Fiona | 134 | 2.02% | Not elected |
2024 Ararat Rural City Council election: first-preference votes for each candidate. Source: Victorian Electoral Commission, 2024 results (finalised 22 Nov 2024). Names as on the ballot. Seven candidates were elected by proportional representation after preferences were distributed; the full distribution is on the VEC page.
Candidates' election campaign donation returns (all 12 declared no disclosable gift) are summarised on the council's Elections page.
Sources — check it yourself
- Victorian Electoral Commission — 2024 Ararat Rural City Council election results · 22 Nov 2024
- Victorian Electoral Commission — Ararat Rural City Council (structure, current councillors, past results) · Sep 2026
- Victorian Electoral Commission — Local council elections (postal voting, compulsory voting) · Sep 2026
- Victorian Electoral Commission — Report to Parliament on the 2024 local government elections (PDF, p.20) · Oct 2025
- Victorian Electoral Commission — Council countbacks and by-elections · Sep 2026
- Ararat Rural City Council — Elections (campaign donation returns, ratepayer enrolment) · Sep 2026
Figures are current as at the dates shown and may change — always confirm with the linked source. See the notice at the bottom of the page for full details and how to report a correction.