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. Baw Baw has three wards, and each elects three councillors by proportional representation: a candidate needs a quota of the ward's votes to be elected.
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 2024
- How you vote
- By post — ballot packs are mailed to enrolled voters
- How Baw Baw votes
- 3 wards (West, Central, East), 3 councillors each; proportional representationThe VEC adjusted the ward boundaries in a 2024 review requested by the Minister for Local Government; the new boundaries applied from the October 2024 election. The Mayor is chosen by the councillors, not by voters.Ward map (VEC) →
- If a seat falls vacant
- Countback, not a by-electionBecause Baw Baw's councillors are elected by proportional representation, the VEC fills a vacancy by recounting the 2024 votes among the unelected candidates who are still eligible, using the original quota. There is no new vote. A by-election is held only if no eligible candidate remains. The VEC lists no countback for Baw Baw since the 2024 election; the most recent were in Central Ward (May 2023) and West Ward (June 2021).How countbacks work →
- Enrol / check enrolment
- Victorian Electoral CommissionProperty owners and occupiers who aren't on the state roll for the municipality may be eligible to be council-enrolled voters.Check enrolment →
| Ward | Elected (in order) | Enrolment | Turnout | Quota |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| West | Ben Lucas, Jess Hamilton, Tricia Jones (7 candidates) | 14,597 | 82.25% | 2,894 |
| Central | Danny Goss, Paul Pratt, Suzanne Allen (8 candidates) | 15,416 | 83.37% | 3,087 |
| East | Brendan Kingwill, Adam Sheehan, Kate Wilson (8 candidates) | 15,071 | 85.50% | 3,096 |
2024 Baw Baw Shire Council election: the three candidates elected in each ward (in order of election), enrolment, turnout and quota. Source: Victorian Electoral Commission, 2024 results (finalised). First-preference counts and full distributions are on the VEC page.
Sources — check it yourself
- Victorian Electoral Commission — 2024 Baw Baw Shire Council election results · Nov 2024
- Victorian Electoral Commission — Baw Baw Shire Council (electoral structure, 2024 ward boundary review, past countbacks) · Sep 2026
- Victorian Electoral Commission — Council by-elections and countbacks timeline · Sep 2026
- Victorian Electoral Commission — Council countbacks and by-elections · 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
- Baw Baw Shire Council — Council Elections · 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.