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 state roll, and you may be fined if you don't vote. Buloke elects two councillors in each of its 3 wards, 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 Buloke results on 22 November 2024.
- How you vote
- By post — ballot packs are mailed to enrolled voters
- How Buloke votes
- 3 wards, two councillors eachLower Avoca, Mallee and Mount Jeffcott. This structure came from the VEC's 2023–24 electoral structure review, which changed the council's structure, and was first used in 2024. The Mayor is chosen by the councillors, not by voters.
- Mallee Ward, 2024
- UncontestedTwo candidates stood for two positions, so the VEC declared both elected without a vote.
- Changes since 2024
- None — no by-election or countbackThe VEC's timeline lists earlier Buloke changes (a Mallee Ward by-election on 15 October 2022 and a Lower Avoca Ward countback on 17 September 2019) and none since the 2024 election (checked September 2026).
- Enrol / check enrolment
- Victorian Electoral CommissionCheck enrolment →
| Ward | Elected (2024) | Turnout |
|---|---|---|
| Lower Avoca | Bruce Stafford, Stephen Barratt | 85.61% |
| Mallee | Bernadette Hogan, Alan Getley (unopposed) | No vote held |
| Mount Jeffcott | Graeme Milne, Charmaine Delaney | 85.35% |
2024 Buloke Shire Council election: councillors elected in each ward (in order of election) and voter turnout. Source: Victorian Electoral Commission, 2024 results (finalised 22 Nov 2024). First-preference counts and preference distributions are on the VEC page.
Sources — check it yourself
- Victorian Electoral Commission — 2024 Buloke Shire Council election results · 22 Nov 2024
- Victorian Electoral Commission — Buloke Shire Council (electoral structure, past results) · Sep 2026
- Victorian Electoral Commission — Council by-elections and countbacks timeline · 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
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.