2026 state election

There have been changes to electoral law since the last Victorian state election in 2022. We've also made some improvements to what we'll offer Victorian voters for this year's election.

Changes to electoral law

Some changes were made to the Electoral Act 2002, the law state elections are run under. The full list of changes is on our Electoral Act amendments page.

Some key differences are:

• The electoral roll closes at 8 pm the day the writ of an election is issued, 1 week earlier than other elections. This year the roll will close at 8 pm on Tuesday 3 November, Melbourne Cup Day.
• There are fewer days for candidates to nominate. If you're an independent candidate, make sure you're prepared before nominations open on Wednesday 4 November.
• The early voting period is shorter. This year early voting will be available from Wednesday 18 to Friday 27 November.

Changes we have made

This year we've made some changes that will make it easier for all Victorians to actively participate in their democracy.

• Low sensory voting – there'll be a low-sensory mobile voting session in every district on Tuesday 17 November between 10am and 4pm. We'll share more information about this session later this year.
• Early voting centres – all early voting centres will also be election day voting centres. This will make it easier to find a voting centre location that works for you.
• EasyVote guide – we're mailing a printed version of our EasyVote guide to all households. This pamphlet will have all the key information about when, where, and how to vote correctly.

Candidate nominations:

• open at 9 am Wednesday 4 November
• close at 12 noon on Monday 9 November for all candidates.

There is a shorter nomination period this year. If you're an independent candidate, make sure you're prepared before nominations open.

Independent candidates must nominate in person at the election office of the electorate they're nominating in. For district (lower house) independent candidates, this will be the district election office. For region (upper house) independent candidates this will be any district election office within your region.

Candidate Helper is now available. This tool helps independent candidates prepare their nomination forms. You must print out and take these forms with you to your nomination appointment.

Find more information on how to nominate

Registered political parties must lodge the nomination forms for their endorsed candidates directly with us.

More information

• Become a state election candidate
• Download a candidate handbook

Victoria is made up of 88 districts and 8 regions.

The 88 districts make up Victoria’s lower house of Parliament, the Legislative Assembly. Each district is represented by one Member of Parliament (MP for short).

The 8 regions make up Victoria’s upper house of Parliament, the Legislative Council. Each region is represented by 5 Members of Parliament.

If you’ve moved house since the 2022 state election, you might be voting in a new electorate. If you do move house, it’s your responsibility to keep your enrolment up to date.

Why this is important

When candidates nominate for an election, they nominate for either one district or one region. When you go to vote, you’ll be given ballot papers for the district and region you’re enrolled in.

If you want to find out more about the candidates who want your vote, you need to know which electorate you’re enrolled in. Knowing your electorate also helps you plan where you go to vote, if you want to vote in person. If you do vote in person, knowing which electorate you’re enrolled in can make it faster for you at the voting centre.

More information

• What are electoral boundaries?
• Interactive electoral boundaries map
• Electoral Boundaries Commission
• Parliament of Victoria website

We need lots of people to help us run this election. Join us!

Many jobs involve working in a voting centre, but there are also positions available before and after election day.

If you’ve worked with us in the past, let us know if you’re available this November.

Apply to work at the election

Strict laws regulate political donations in Victoria.

There are serious penalties for breaking any of these rules.

Find out more about who can make political donations and the rules for making them.

You can start campaigning at any time, even before nominations open.

When you’re campaigning, you must:

• properly authorise your electoral material so it’s clear who is accountable for it. The law about authorisations has recently changed so make sure you are familiar with the new rules.
• follow all non-electoral laws, such as defamation laws
• not distribute material that’s likely to mislead voters into casting their vote incorrectly
• follow all political donation disclosure rules as soon as you publicly declare your intention to become a candidate. You must do this even if you don’t end up nominating.

If you see something you think is in breach of the Electoral Act 2002, please submit a complaint. We’ll investigate and, where appropriate, we’ll let you know the outcome.

More information

• Authorising electoral material
• Become a state election candidate
• Campaigning

You can still vote if you missed the deadline.

Visit a voting centre to enrol and vote on the spot.

Bring one of the following forms of ID:

• driver licence or learner permit
• Australian passport
• recent electricity bill or council rates notice showing your name and address.

Tell one of our voting centre staff you need to provisionally enrol. They can help.

Early voting opens Wednesday 18 November. Skip the queues and vote early.

Find voting centres

VoterAlert is our free SMS and email reminder service for voters in Victorian elections.

Register now to get a digital EasyVote guide this November.

After this election, we’ll let you know when there’s an election event in your area, like a by-election.

How to sign up:

1. Go to ‘Check my enrolment’ {link to enrolment.vec.vic.gov.au}.
2. Enter your details.
3. Subscribe for VoterAlert under the heading ‘Update contact details’.
4. Add your mobile and/or email address and tick the checkboxes.

Sign up in Check my Enrolment

Find out more about VoterAlert

False or misleading information can spread quickly online. Sometimes people share it without knowing it’s wrong.

Take time to check any election information you see. Not everything you see, read or hear about voting and your rights is reliable.

Check the facts before you vote

Victorian state election

I have received writs from Her Excellency Professor the Hon Margaret Gardner AC, Governor of Victoria, issued on Tuesday 3 November, for the general election of 88 members of the Legislative Assembly and 40 members of the Legislative Council.

The writs specify the following dates for the election:

• Close of roll: 8 pm on Tuesday 3 November
• Nominations close (independent and registered political party candidates): 12 pm on Monday 9 November
• Election day: Saturday 28 November (voting centres open 8 am to 6 pm)
• Return of the writs: on or before Saturday 19 December

S. Bluemmel, Electoral Commissioner

Who needs to vote?

If you're currently enrolled, you must vote. If you don't vote, you may be fined. Check your enrolment at vec.vic.gov.au or scan the QR code.

The electoral roll for the state election closed at 8 pm on Tuesday 3 November. 

If you missed the close of roll and you’re eligible to enrol, you can still vote. Visit any voting centre and bring one of these documents:

• your Australian passport
• your Australian driver licence or learner permit
• a council rates notice in your name
• a utility bill in your name and for your current address, if you don't have a passport driver licence or council rates notice.

If you are already enrolled and you changed your address before the close of roll but didn't update your details, you must vote in this election for your old address.

If you have never enrolled, or your details are not current, you will not be fined if you enrol for this election.

When to vote

Election day is Saturday 28 November.

Details of where to vote and other voting options, including early voting, will soon be available at vec.vic.gov.au and advertised in major newspapers and on VEC's social media channels.

Information for candidates

Nominations are now open for the Victorian state election

All candidates must nominate by 12 pm on Monday 9 November. We cannot accept late nominations.

If you are:

• a candidate endorsed by a registered political party, or the registered officer of the party, you must lodge your nomination at the VEC at 530 Collins Street, Melbourne
• an independent candidate, you must nominate with the election manager at the relevant election hub for the election that you wish to contest. Use Candidate Helper at vec.vic.gov.au to start your nomination form.

Upper house candidates

Independent candidates for the upper house (Legislative Council) must nominate at an election hub in their region. An election manager will give you a Candidate Kit and nomination form.

You can ask to be grouped on the ballot paper with other candidates for the same region.

How-to-vote cards

You must register your how-to-vote card with the VEC if you plan to:

• distribute the card on election day, Saturday 28 November
• have an election official distribute the card at a mobile voting centre

Registered how-to-vote cards are the only form of printed electoral material that may be distributed within 400 metres of a voting centre on election day.

Submit your how-to-vote cards for registration from 9 am on Tuesday 10 November:

• Registered political parties must submit cards at the VEC at 530 Collins Street, Melbourne
• Individuals and organisations, other than registered political parties, must submit cards to an election manager.

Registration closes at 12 pm on Friday 20 November. Late how-to-vote cards cannot be accepted.

Scan the QR code or visit vec.vic.gov.au for all state election information.

131 832
info@vec.vic.gov.au
vec.vic.gov.au
@electionsvic

Authorised by S. Bluemmel, Electoral Commissioner, 530 Collins Street, Melbourne, Victoria.