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. Wangaratta elects one councillor for each of its 7 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 general election
- Saturday 26 October 2024
- How you vote
- By post — ballot packs are mailed to enrolled voters
- How Wangaratta votes
- 7 wards, one councillor each; preferential countAppin, Bullawah, King River, Ovens, Warby, Wareena and Yarrunga. 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.
- 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.
- Find your ward / enrol
- Victorian Electoral CommissionThe council's wards page links to the VEC's map to find your ward. Property owners and occupiers who aren't on the state roll for the municipality may be able to enrol as council voters; the VEC explains who is eligible.Check enrolment →
| Ward | Elected (2024) | Enrolment | Turnout |
|---|---|---|---|
| Appin | Tania Maxwell | 3,418 | 85.58% |
| Bullawah | Dave Fuller | 3,286 | 79.15% |
| King River | Harry Bussell (unopposed) | — | No vote held |
| Ovens | Harvey Benton | 3,056 | 85.44% |
| Warby | Irene Grant (unopposed) | — | No vote held |
| Wareena | Ashlee Fitzpatrick | 3,395 | 79.82% |
| Yarrunga | Allison Winters | 3,297 | 75.67% |
2024 Wangaratta Rural City Council election: candidate elected in each ward, enrolment and voter turnout. Source: Victorian Electoral Commission, 2024 results (finalised). Names as on the ballot. Full first-preference counts and preference distributions are on the VEC page.
Sources — check it yourself
- Victorian Electoral Commission — 2024 Wangaratta Rural City Council election results · Nov 2024
- Victorian Electoral Commission — Wangaratta Rural City Council (electoral structure, 2023–24 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
- Rural City of Wangaratta — Understanding Our Wards · 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.