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. Darebin 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). The council's elections page gives the same date.
- Last election
- Saturday 26 October 2024The VEC's Darebin results page was last updated on 22 November 2024.
- How you vote
- By post — ballot packs are mailed to enrolled voters
- How Darebin votes
- 9 wards, one councillor each; preferential countAll 9 wards were contested in 2024. In South West Ward the VEC published recount results. The Mayor is chosen by the councillors, not by voters.
- By-election since 2024
- North West Ward, 2 August 2025Held by post after the death of Cr Gaetano Greco. Angela Villella was elected after preferences (57.61% to 42.39%); turnout was 76.22%.By-election result →
- Ratepayers who live elsewhere
- Can apply to the council to enrolThe council's by-election notice explains who can apply: owners of rateable property who aren't otherwise enrolled, occupiers who are liable to pay rates (such as shop tenants) and people appointed by a company that pays rates.Council elections →
- Enrol / check enrolment
- Victorian Electoral CommissionCheck enrolment →
| Ward | Elected (2024) | Turnout |
|---|---|---|
| Central | Kristine Olaris | 78.14% |
| North Central | Vasilios Tsalkos | 78.38% |
| North East | Matt Arturi | 81.43% |
| North West | Gaetano Greco (by-election 2025: Angela Villella) | 81.57% |
| South Central | Ruth Jelley | 77.52% |
| South East | Emily Dimitriadis | 80.60% |
| South | Julie O'Brien | 79.55% |
| South West | Alexandra Sangster | 79.91% |
| West | Connie Boglis | 80.55% |
2024 Darebin City Council election: candidate elected in each ward and voter turnout. Source: Victorian Electoral Commission, 2024 results (finalised). North West Ward has since had a by-election (2 August 2025, see above). Full first-preference counts and preference distributions are on the VEC page.
Sources — check it yourself
- Victorian Electoral Commission — 2024 Darebin City Council election results · Nov 2024
- Victorian Electoral Commission — Darebin City Council, North West Ward by-election results · Aug 2025
- 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 — Darebin City Council (9 single-councillor wards) · Sep 2026
- Darebin City Council — Council elections · Sep 2026
- Darebin City Council — By-election for the North West Ward (enrolment) · May 2025
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.