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. Northern Grampians elects two councillors in each of its 3 wards, 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 2024The VEC finalised the Northern Grampians results on 22 November 2024.
- How you vote
- By post — ballot packs are mailed to enrolled voters
- How Northern Grampians votes
- 3 wards, two councillors eachCentral, Grampians and Kara Kara. This structure came from the VEC's 2023–24 electoral structure review and was first used in 2024. The Mayor is chosen by the councillors, not by voters.
- Changes since 2024
- None — no by-election or countbackThe VEC's timeline lists earlier Northern Grampians by-elections (the most recent in Kara Kara Ward on 5 November 2022) and none since the 2024 election (checked September 2026).
- Who can vote
- Residents on the state roll, plus ratepayers who applyProperty owners, occupiers and company representatives who pay rates but aren't state-enrolled in the shire can apply to the council to join the council roll; once on it, they must vote. The forms must carry a handwritten signature.Council enrolment →
- Enrol / check enrolment
- Victorian Electoral CommissionCheck enrolment →
| Ward | Elected (2024) | Turnout |
|---|---|---|
| Central | Karen Hyslop, Jenny Greenberger | 84.45% |
| Grampians | Justine Hide, Jack Blake | 84.53% |
| Kara Kara | Karen Probst, Murray Emerson | 84.81% |
2024 Northern Grampians Shire Council election: councillors elected in each ward (in order of election) and voter turnout. Source: Victorian Electoral Commission, 2024 results (finalised 22 Nov 2024). First-preference counts and preference distributions are on the VEC page.
Sources — check it yourself
- Victorian Electoral Commission — 2024 Northern Grampians Shire Council election results · 22 Nov 2024
- Victorian Electoral Commission — Northern Grampians Shire Council (electoral structure, past results) · Sep 2026
- Victorian Electoral Commission — Council by-elections and countbacks timeline · Sep 2026
- Northern Grampians Shire Council — Council Elections · 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.