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. Whittlesea elects one councillor for each of its 11 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 2024The first election of councillors since 2016. From 2020 until this election the council was run by state-appointed administrators.
- How you vote
- By post — ballot packs are mailed to enrolled voters
- How Whittlesea votes
- 11 wards, one councillor each; preferential countThe ward structure was set by an electoral structure review in 2023–24 and first used in 2024. The Mayor is chosen by the councillors, not by voters.
- By-elections since 2024
- Lalor Ward (VEC date 2 Aug 2025) and Thomastown Ward (VEC date 30 May 2026)Lalor: VCAT declared the 2024 result void on 8 May 2025; Michael Labrador was elected, with 74.33% turnout. Thomastown: the councillor elected in 2024 resigned in January 2026; Chaman Tiwari was elected, with 75.06% turnout.
- 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 | Turnout |
|---|---|---|
| Bundoora | Daniela Zinni (2024) | 82.03% |
| Epping | David Lenberg (2024) | 80.74% |
| Ganbu Gulinj | Lawrie Cox (2024) | 80.56% |
| Kirrip | Aidan McLindon (2024) | 80.57% |
| Lalor | Michael Labrador (2025 by-election; the 2024 result was declared void) | 74.33% |
| Mernda | Jarrod Lappin (2024) | 81.21% |
| Mill Park | Blair Colwell (2024) | 83.96% |
| North | Christine Stow (2024) | 81.33% |
| Painted Hills | Deb Gunn (2024) | 82.12% |
| South Morang | Martin Taylor (2024) | 84.39% |
| Thomastown | Chaman Tiwari (2026 by-election) | 75.06% |
Whittlesea City Council: candidate elected in each ward in October 2024, with voter turnout, and the two by-elections since. Source: Victorian Electoral Commission, 2024 results (finalised) and by-election results. Full first-preference counts and preference distributions are on the VEC pages.
Turnout for Lalor and Thomastown is from their by-elections. In 2024 Thomastown elected Nicholas James Brooks (80.15% turnout), who resigned in January 2026.
Sources — check it yourself
- Victorian Electoral Commission — 2024 Whittlesea City Council election results · Nov 2024
- Victorian Electoral Commission — Lalor Ward by-election results (2025) · Aug 2025
- Victorian Electoral Commission — Thomastown Ward by-election results (2026) · Jun 2026
- Victorian Electoral Commission — By-elections and countbacks timeline · 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
- Victorian Electoral Commission — Whittlesea City Council (electoral structure) · Sep 2026
- City of Whittlesea — Panel of Administrators Final Report 2020–2024 (PDF) · 2024
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.