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. East Gippsland has no wards: all voters choose from the same list of candidates, and 9 councillors are elected 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 2024
- How you vote
- By post — ballot packs are mailed to enrolled voters
- How East Gippsland votes
- Unsubdivided: 9 councillors for the whole shire, proportional representationIn 2024, 22 candidates stood for the 9 seats; the quota to be elected was 2,847 votes. The Mayor is chosen by the councillors, not by voters.
- If a seat falls vacant
- CountbackIn a council elected by proportional representation, the VEC fills a vacancy by recounting the votes from the last election among the unsuccessful candidates who choose to take part. No countback has been needed in this term so far (VEC council page, Sep 2026).How countbacks work →
- Enrol / check enrolment
- Victorian Electoral CommissionProperty owners and occupiers who aren't on the state roll in East Gippsland may apply to be council-enrolled voters; the council handles this on (03) 5153 9500. Occupiers' and corporations' council enrolments expire before each general election.Check enrolment →
| Order elected | Candidate | First preferences | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | Sonia Buckley | 3,684 | 12.94% |
| 2nd | John White | 3,141 | 11.03% |
| 3rd | Bernie Farquhar | 2,506 | 8.80% |
| 4th | Arthur Allen | 2,220 | 7.80% |
| 5th | Ian Trevaskis | 1,759 | 6.18% |
| 6th | Tom Crook | 1,599 | 5.62% |
| 7th | Jodie Ashworth | 1,255 | 4.41% |
| 8th | Barry Davis | 1,447 | 5.08% |
| 9th | Joanne Eastman | 1,406 | 4.94% |
2024 East Gippsland Shire Council election: the 9 candidates elected, in the order elected, with first-preference votes. Enrolment 39,423; formal votes 28,465; informal votes 3,984 (12.28%); turnout 82.31%. Source: Victorian Electoral Commission, 2024 results (finalised). The other 13 candidates' votes and the full distribution of preferences are on the VEC page.
Sources — check it yourself
- Victorian Electoral Commission — 2024 East Gippsland Shire Council election results · Nov 2024
- Victorian Electoral Commission — East Gippsland Shire Council (electoral structure: unsubdivided, 9 councillors) · Sep 2026
- East Gippsland Shire Council — Council Elections (council-enrolled voters) · 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.