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. Warrnambool elects one councillor for each of its 7 wards. The structure was changed after the VEC's 2023–24 electoral structure review, in time for the October 2024 election.
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 2024
- How you vote
- By post — ballot packs are mailed to enrolled voters
- How Warrnambool votes
- 7 wards, one councillor each; preferential countBotanic, Central, Hopkins River, Pertobe, Platypus Park, Russells Creek and Wollaston. In 2024 three wards — Botanic, Russells Creek and Wollaston — were uncontested: one candidate nominated in each and was declared elected unopposed. 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. There has been none in Warrnambool since 2024.
- 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Botanic | Billy Edis (unopposed) | — | No vote held |
| Central | Debbie Arnott | 3,981 | 76.87% |
| Hopkins River | Willy Benter | 3,871 | 76.78% |
| Pertobe | Matthew Walsh | 3,642 | 78.61% |
| Platypus Park | Vicki Jellie | 4,099 | 77.14% |
| Russells Creek | Ben Blain (unopposed) | — | No vote held |
| Wollaston | Richard Ziegeler (unopposed) | — | No vote held |
2024 Warrnambool City Council election: candidate elected in each ward, enrolment and voter turnout. Source: Victorian Electoral Commission, 2024 results (finalised, last updated 22 Nov 2024). The VEC publishes no enrolment or turnout for the three uncontested wards. Full first-preference counts and preference distributions are on the VEC page.
Sources — check it yourself
- Victorian Electoral Commission — 2024 Warrnambool City Council election results · Nov 2024
- 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
- Victorian Electoral Commission — Warrnambool City Council (electoral structure, 2023–24 review) · 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.