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. Surf Coast Shire has three wards, and each elects three councillors.
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 2024Results finalised by the VEC in November 2024.
- How you vote
- By post — ballot packs are mailed to enrolled voters
- How Surf Coast votes
- 3 wards × 3 councillors; proportional representationOtway Range, Torquay and Winchelsea wards. 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
- CountbackIn a multi-councillor ward, the VEC fills a vacancy by recounting the votes from the last election among the unelected candidates. The Torquay Ward countback on 5 November 2025 elected Phoebe Crockett after Rebecca Bourke resigned.
- Voting
- Compulsory for people on the state rollYou may be fined if you don't vote.
- Enrol / check enrolment
- Victorian Electoral CommissionCheck enrolment →
| Ward | Elected (2024) | Enrolment | Turnout |
|---|---|---|---|
| Otway Range | Libby Stapleton, Leon Walker, Mike Bodsworth | 9,852 | 83.40% |
| Torquay | Liz Pattison, Rebecca Bourke, Paul Barker | 10,276 | 83.50% |
| Winchelsea | Joel Grist, Tony Phelps, Adrian Dwight Schonfelder | 9,997 | 83.43% |
2024 Surf Coast Shire Council election: candidates elected in each ward (in order of election), enrolment and voter turnout. Source: Victorian Electoral Commission, 2024 results (finalised). Full first-preference counts and distribution reports are on the VEC page.
Rebecca Bourke resigned in September 2025; Phoebe Crockett was elected to the Torquay Ward seat by countback on 5 November 2025 (see the people page).
Sources — check it yourself
- Victorian Electoral Commission — 2024 Surf Coast Shire Council election results · Nov 2024
- Victorian Electoral Commission — Surf Coast Shire Council (electoral structure, 2023–24 review) · Sep 2026
- Victorian Electoral Commission — Surf Coast Shire Council, Torquay Ward countback (5 Nov 2025) · Nov 2025
- 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.