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. South Gippsland has three wards, and each elects three councillors by proportional representation: a candidate needs a quota of the ward's votes to be elected.
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 South Gippsland votes
- 3 wards (Coastal Promontory, Strzelecki, Tarwin Valley), 3 councillors each; proportional representationThe VEC adjusted the ward boundaries in a 2024 review requested by the Minister for Local Government; the new boundaries applied from the October 2024 election. The Mayor is chosen by the councillors, not by voters.Ward map (VEC) →
- If a seat falls vacant
- Countback, not a by-electionBecause South Gippsland's councillors are elected by proportional representation, the VEC fills a vacancy by recounting the 2024 votes among the unelected candidates who are still eligible, using the original quota. There is no new vote. A by-election is held only if no eligible candidate remains. The VEC lists no countback for South Gippsland since the 2024 election.How countbacks work →
- Recent history
- Under administrators from June 2019 to October 2021In June 2019 the Victorian Parliament dismissed the council, following a Commission of Inquiry, and administrators were appointed. Councillors were elected again at a separate South Gippsland election in October 2021; the October 2024 election was the regular statewide one.2021 election results (VEC) →
- Enrol / check enrolment
- Victorian Electoral CommissionProperty owners and occupiers who aren't on the state roll for the municipality may be eligible to be council-enrolled voters.Check enrolment →
| Ward | Elected (in order) | Enrolment | Turnout | Quota |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Coastal Promontory | Scott Rae, Sarah Gilligan, Steve Finlay (5 candidates) | 8,227 | 85.10% | 1,708 |
| Strzelecki | Nathan Hersey, Bron Beach, John Kennedy (5 candidates) | 8,563 | 86.71% | 1,810 |
| Tarwin Valley | John Schelling, Clare Williams, Brad Snell (7 candidates) | 8,085 | 85.47% | 1,678 |
2024 South Gippsland Shire Council election: the three candidates elected in each ward (in order of election), enrolment, turnout and quota. Source: Victorian Electoral Commission, 2024 results (finalised). The VEC spells the first ward 'Coastal-Promontory'. First-preference counts and full distributions are on the VEC page.
Sources — check it yourself
- Victorian Electoral Commission — 2024 South Gippsland Shire Council election results · Nov 2024
- Victorian Electoral Commission — South Gippsland Shire Council (electoral structure, 2024 ward boundary review) · Sep 2026
- Victorian Electoral Commission — 2021 South Gippsland Shire Council election results · Sep 2026
- Premier of Victoria — Dismissal of South Gippsland Shire Council (19 Jun 2019) · Jun 2019
- Victorian Electoral Commission — Council by-elections and countbacks timeline · Sep 2026
- Victorian Electoral Commission — Council countbacks and by-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
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.