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. Cardinia elects one councillor for each of its 9 wards. The VEC adjusted the ward boundaries in a 2024 review, in time for the October 2024 election.
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 election
- Saturday 26 October 2024
- How you vote
- By post — ballot packs are mailed to enrolled voters
- How Cardinia votes
- 9 wards, one councillor each; preferential countBeacon Hills, Bunyip, Central, Henty, Officer, Pakenham Hills, Ranges, Toomuc and Westernport. In 2024 Pakenham Hills Ward was uncontested: one candidate nominated and was declared elected unopposed. 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. There has been none in Cardinia since 2024.
- Voting
- Compulsory for people on the state rollYou may be fined if you don't vote.
- Enrol / check enrolment
- Victorian Electoral CommissionCheck enrolment →
| Ward | Elected (2024) | Enrolment | Turnout |
|---|---|---|---|
| Beacon Hills | Brett Owen | 9,578 | 86.31% |
| Bunyip | Alanna Pomeroy | 8,839 | 83.61% |
| Central | Collin Ross | 9,310 | 81.50% |
| Henty | Liz Roberts | 9,252 | 78.39% |
| Officer | Samantha-Jane Potter | 9,081 | 82.74% |
| Pakenham Hills | Jack Kowarzik (unopposed) | — | No vote held |
| Ranges | David Nickell | 9,543 | 81.85% |
| Toomuc | Casey Thomsen | 9,305 | 80.71% |
| Westernport | Trudi Paton | 8,848 | 82.71% |
2024 Cardinia Shire Council election: candidate elected in each ward, enrolment and voter turnout. Source: Victorian Electoral Commission, 2024 results (finalised, last updated 22 Nov 2024). The VEC publishes no enrolment or turnout for the uncontested Pakenham Hills Ward. Full first-preference counts and preference distributions are on the VEC page.
Sources — check it yourself
- Victorian Electoral Commission — 2024 Cardinia Shire Council election results · Nov 2024
- 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 — Cardinia Shire Council (electoral structure, 2024 ward boundary review) · 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.