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. Banyule elects one councillor for each of its 9 wards.
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).
- Beale Ward by-election (2026)
- Voting closes 6pm Friday 2 October 2026Held by post after Councillor Elizabeth Nealy resigned (vacancy date 3 July 2026, per the VEC). Ballot packs were mailed from Monday 14 September. Voters enrolled in Beale Ward at 4pm on Wednesday 22 July 2026 must vote. Seven candidates are standing. The VEC lists Wednesday 14 October 2026 as the date earliest results are available. Election office: 1 Joyce Avenue, Greensborough; VEC phone 131 832.By-election details →
- Last general election
- Saturday 26 October 2024
- How you vote
- By post — ballot packs are mailed to enrolled voters
- How Banyule votes
- 9 wards, one councillor each; preferential countBakewell, Beale, Chelsworth, Griffin, Grimshaw, Hawdon, Ibbott, Olympia and Sherbourne. This structure followed a VEC representation review in 2019, which changed Banyule from 7 wards to 9 single-councillor wards. The Mayor is chosen by the councillors, not by voters.
- If a seat falls vacant
- By-electionIn a single-councillor ward, a vacancy with more than 6 months of the term left is filled by a by-election.
- Council enrolment (non-resident owners, occupiers, companies)
- Ask the council: 9490 4222Residents enrol on the state roll through the VEC.
- Enrol / check enrolment
- Victorian Electoral CommissionCheck enrolment →
| Ward | Elected (2024) | Turnout |
|---|---|---|
| Bakewell | Mark Di Pasquale | 83.18% |
| Beale | Elizabeth Nealy (unopposed; resigned July 2026) | No vote held |
| Chelsworth | Alida McKern | 83.43% |
| Griffin | Peter Castaldo | 82.71% |
| Grimshaw | Rick Garotti | 85.59% |
| Hawdon | Matt Wood | 85.14% |
| Ibbott | Alicia Curry | 84.86% |
| Olympia | Mary O'Kane | 75.38% |
| Sherbourne | Alison Champion | 84.25% |
2024 Banyule City Council election: candidate elected in each ward and voter turnout. Source: Victorian Electoral Commission, 2024 results (finalised). Full first-preference counts and preference distributions are on the VEC page.
Sources — check it yourself
- Victorian Electoral Commission — 2024 Banyule City Council election results · Nov 2024
- Victorian Electoral Commission — Beale Ward by-election · Sep 2026
- Banyule City Council — Council elections (Beale Ward by-election) · Sep 2026
- Banyule City Council — VEC announces candidates for Beale Ward by-election (28 Aug 2026) · Aug 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
- Victorian Electoral Commission — Banyule City Council (electoral structure, 2019 review) · Sep 2026
- Banyule City Council — Banyule wards · 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.