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. Merri-bek elects one councillor for each of its 11 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 election
- Saturday 26 October 2024The VEC's Merri-bek results page was last updated on 22 November 2024.
- How you vote
- By post — ballot packs are mailed to enrolled voters
- How Merri-bek votes
- 11 wards, one councillor each; preferential countThis structure came from the VEC's 2023–24 electoral structure review and was first used in 2024. All 11 wards were contested in 2024. 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 Merri-bek since 2024.
- Ratepayers who live elsewhere
- Can apply to enrol as council-enrolled votersThe council's elections page explains who can apply: property owners who don't live in Merri-bek, occupier ratepayers and corporation representatives. Each person has only one vote.Council elections →
- Enrol / check enrolment
- Victorian Electoral CommissionCheck enrolment →
| Ward | Elected (2024) | Turnout |
|---|---|---|
| Bababi Djinanang | Sue Bolton | 80.65% |
| Box Forest | Chris Miles | 76.96% |
| Brunswick West | Ella Svensson | 76.51% |
| Bulleke-bek | Jay Iwasaki | 75.96% |
| Djirri-Djirri | Helen Davidson | 80.95% |
| Harmony Park | Helen Politis | 81.58% |
| Pascoe Vale South | Oscar Yildiz | 84.18% |
| Pentridge | Nat Abboud | 78.98% |
| Randazzo | Liz Irvin | 75.18% |
| Warrk-Warrk | Adam Pulford | 75.10% |
| Westbreen | Katerine Theodosis | 79.79% |
2024 Merri-bek City Council election: candidate elected in each ward and voter turnout. Source: Victorian Electoral Commission, 2024 results (finalised). Full first-preference counts and preference distributions are on the VEC page.
Sources — check it yourself
- Victorian Electoral Commission — 2024 Merri-bek City 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 — Merri-bek City Council (electoral structure, 2023–24 review) · Sep 2026
- Merri-bek City Council — Council elections (enrolment) · 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.