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. Pyrenees Shire has five wards, each electing one councillor by preferential voting: you vote for candidates in your own ward.
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 results in November 2024.
- How you vote
- By post — ballot packs are mailed to enrolled voters
- How Pyrenees votes
- 5 wards — 1 councillor eachAvoca, Beaufort, De Cameron, Ercildoune and Mount Emu wards. The VEC reviewed the internal ward boundaries in 2024, at the Minister for Local Government's request, and adjusted them. The Mayor is chosen by the councillors, not by voters.
- 2024 result
- Rebecca Wardlaw (Avoca), Damian Ferrari (Beaufort), Megan Phelan (De Cameron), Simon Tol (Ercildoune) and Tanya Kehoe (Mount Emu) electedFour wards had two candidates; De Cameron had four and was decided on preferences (Megan Phelan 505 votes, 51.64%, to Kate Tol 473, 48.36%). Turnout ranged from 82.64% (Beaufort) to 87.63% (Ercildoune) of enrolment.
- Changes since 2024
- None — no by-electionThe five councillors elected in 2024 match the VEC's current list, and the VEC's council page lists no by-election since 2024 (checked September 2026).
- If a seat falls vacant
- By-election in that wardWith one councillor per ward, the VEC normally fills a vacancy by holding a by-election for that ward.Countbacks and by-elections →
- Who can vote
- Residents on the state roll, plus ratepayers who applyEligible ratepayers who aren't on the state roll for the shire can apply to the council to be enrolled.Enrolling as a ratepayer →
- Enrol / check enrolment
- Victorian Electoral CommissionCheck enrolment →
| Ward | Candidate | First preferences | Share | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Avoca | Rebecca Wardlaw | 818 | 76.23% | Elected |
| Avoca | Ronald Brendon Eason | 255 | 23.77% | Not elected |
| Beaufort | Damian Hugh Ferrari | 567 | 54.52% | Elected |
| Beaufort | Paul Callanan | 473 | 45.48% | Not elected |
| De Cameron | Kate Tol | 347 | 35.48% | Not elected (48.36% after preferences) |
| De Cameron | Megan Phelan | 335 | 34.25% | Elected (51.64% after preferences) |
| De Cameron | Fiona Williamson | 229 | 23.42% | Not elected |
| De Cameron | Rose La Vie | 67 | 6.85% | Not elected |
| Ercildoune | Simon Tol | 516 | 53.47% | Elected |
| Ercildoune | David Clark | 449 | 46.53% | Not elected |
| Mount Emu | Tanya Kehoe | 563 | 57.16% | Elected |
| Mount Emu | Dan Ferguson | 422 | 42.84% | Not elected |
2024 Pyrenees Shire Council election: first-preference votes in each ward (1 vacancy per ward, preferential voting). Source: Victorian Electoral Commission, 2024 results (finalised). In De Cameron Ward the seat was decided after preferences were distributed, which the VEC page shows in full.
Sources — check it yourself
- Victorian Electoral Commission — 2024 Pyrenees Shire Council election results · Nov 2024
- Victorian Electoral Commission — Pyrenees Shire Council (5 wards, current councillors, 2024 ward boundary 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
- Pyrenees Shire Council — Enrolling as a ratepayer in Pyrenees Shire · 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.