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. Latrobe City 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).
- Last general election
- Saturday 26 October 2024
- Morwell River Ward by-election (2026)
- Rob Moffatt elected — declared 13 August 2026Postal voting closed at 6pm on Friday 31 July 2026. Five candidates stood. Enrolment 6,498; turnout 69.16%. After preferences, Rob Moffatt received 57.97% and Dean Sutton 42.03% (VEC, finalised). Held after Cr Tracie Lund resigned (vacancy date 16 March 2026).By-election results →
- How you vote
- By post — ballot packs are mailed to enrolled voters
- How Latrobe City votes
- 9 wards, one councillor each; preferential countBoola Boola, Budgeree, Jeeralang, Loy Yang, Moe, Morwell River, Newborough, Tyers and Yallourn. This structure came from the VEC's 2023–24 electoral structure review. 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.
- Enrol / check enrolment
- Victorian Electoral CommissionProperty owners who aren't on the state roll for the municipality may be council-enrolled voters; the council handles council enrolment on 1300 367 700.Check enrolment →
| Ward | Elected (2024) | Enrolment | Turnout |
|---|---|---|---|
| Boola Boola | David Barnes | 5,865 | 82.30% |
| Budgeree | Leanne Potter | 6,789 | 79.47% |
| Jeeralang | Joanne Mary Campbell | 6,971 | 81.85% |
| Loy Yang | Dale Harriman | 6,411 | 78.51% |
| Moe | Adele Pugsley | 6,674 | 74.60% |
| Morwell River | Tracie Lund | 6,478 | 73.85% |
| Newborough | Sharon Gibson (unopposed) | — | No vote held |
| Tyers | Darren Howe | 6,582 | 82.47% |
| Yallourn | Steph Morgan | 5,857 | 73.91% |
2024 Latrobe City Council election: candidate elected in each ward, enrolment and voter turnout. Source: Victorian Electoral Commission, 2024 results (finalised). Full first-preference counts and preference distributions are on the VEC page. Morwell River Ward's 2024 councillor has since resigned (see above).
Sources — check it yourself
- Victorian Electoral Commission — 2024 Latrobe City Council election results · Nov 2024
- Victorian Electoral Commission — Latrobe City Council, Morwell River Ward by-election results (finalised) · Aug 2026
- Victorian Electoral Commission — Morwell River Ward by-election (notices) · Sep 2026
- Victorian Electoral Commission — Latrobe City Council (electoral structure, 2023–24 review) · 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.