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. Yarra Ranges elects one councillor for each of its 9 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 Yarra Ranges votes
- 9 wards, one councillor each; preferential countBillanook, Chandler, Chirnside, Lyster, Melba, O'Shannassy, Ryrie, Streeton and Walling. The VEC last reviewed the council's ward boundaries in 2020. The Mayor is chosen by the councillors, not by voters.
- Uncontested wards in 2024
- Chirnside and RyrieOnly one candidate nominated in each, so the VEC declared them elected unopposed and no vote was held there.
- 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.
- Enrol / check enrolment
- Victorian Electoral CommissionCheck enrolment →
| Ward | Elected (2024) | Turnout |
|---|---|---|
| Billanook | Tim Heenan | 83.45% |
| Chandler | Gareth Ward | 82.50% |
| Chirnside | Richard Higgins | Uncontested |
| Lyster | Peter Mcilwain | 84.45% |
| Melba | Mitch Mazzarella | 81.54% |
| O'Shannassy | Jim Child | 79.99% |
| Ryrie | Fiona McAllister | Uncontested |
| Streeton | Jeff Marriott | 86.61% |
| Walling | Len Cox | 82.83% |
2024 Yarra Ranges Shire Council election: candidate elected in each ward and voter turnout. Source: Victorian Electoral Commission, 2024 results (finalised). Full first-preference counts and preference distributions are on the VEC page.
Sources — check it yourself
- Victorian Electoral Commission — 2024 Yarra Ranges Shire Council election results · Nov 2024
- Victorian Electoral Commission — Yarra Ranges Shire Council (electoral structure, 2020 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
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.