Greater Bendigo City Council, Lockwood Ward by-election
We're holding a by-election for Lockwood Ward in Greater Bendigo City Council in March 2026 after Councillor John McIlrath resigned.
Candidate nominations are now closed.
Candidates
Nominations for this by-election are now closed. We cannot accept late nominations.
Campaign donations
By law, candidates must disclose donations and gifts they receive in the lead up to a by-election. For more information, visit the Local Government Inspectorate.
More information
To learn about the nominations process you can:
- read about becoming a local council candidate
- download a candidate handbook.
Enrolment
The deadline to enrol this by-election was 4 pm on Wednesday 14 January.
Am I enrolled?
If you are a state-enrolled voter in Lockwood Ward, you must vote.
If you are a council-enrolled voter in Lockwood Ward, you must vote.
Contact Greater Bendigo City Council on 1300 002 642 to check if you're a council-enrolled voter.
I'm away or have changed address
Applications to redirect your ballot pack have closed. We will mail your ballot pack to your postal address from Friday 6 March.
If you'll be away during the election period or have changed address, there are multiple ways you can get a replacement ballot pack sent to a different address. You can:
- use our online replacement form
- call us on 131 832
We’ll share more information about all these options on Friday 6 March.
If you moved within or out of Lockwood Ward since the roll closed on Wednesday 14 January, you must vote or risk a fine.
Voting
Voting in this by-election is by post.
We'll mail ballot packs to all enrolled voters from Friday 6 March.
Your ballot pack will have:
- a ballot paper
- candidate statements
- a ballot paper envelope (for your vote to go in)
- a reply-paid envelope (for your ballot paper envelope to go in)
- a multi-language leaflet with translated instructions on how to vote.
I'm away or have changed address
Applications to redirect your ballot pack have closed. We will mail your ballot pack to your postal address from Friday 6 March.
If you'll be away during the election period or have changed address, there are multiple ways you can get a replacement ballot pack sent to a different address. You can:
- use our online replacement form
- call us on 131 832
We’ll share more information about all these options on Friday 6 March.
If you moved within or out of Lockwood Ward since the roll closed on Wednesday 14 January, you must vote or risk a fine.
How to vote
Follow the instructions in your ballot pack to complete your vote.
Make sure you return it before 6 pm on Friday 27 March. You can post it back to us or drop it off at the election office.
Who must vote
You must vote if you're enrolled in Lockwood Ward when the roll closes at 4 pm on Wednesday 14 January.
If you don't vote, we may send you a fine.
To check if you're eligible to vote, read the 'enrolment' section of this page or call us on 131 832.
Large print or braille ballot packs
Registrations for large print or braille packs for this by-election are closed.
You can register any time for future elections. Contact us on:
- call 03 8620 1314 from 9 am to 5 pm, Monday to Friday
- email BrailleAndLargePrint@vec.vic.gov.au.
Public notices
Vote by post by Friday 27 March
Voting
Ballot packs will be mailed to voters enrolled in the Greater Bendigo City Council, Lockwood Ward by-election from Friday 6 March 2026. Return your completed ballot material by mail ASAP or hand deliver it to the election manager by the close of voting at 6 pm on Friday 27 March 2026.
If you will be away
If you will be away during the voting period (Friday 6 March 2026 to Friday 27 March 2026), or your address has changed since Wednesday 14 January 2026, you can request your ballot pack to be redirected by completing an online redirection form at vec.vic.gov.au/redirections, or call 131 832.
Please include the address for redirection. Each voter requesting redirection must sign their request. Requests for redirection must be received by Monday 9 February 2026.
Alternatively, you can go to the election office to vote in person, from 10 am on Wednesday 18 February 2026.
The Greater Bendigo City Council election office is at:
62-64 Hattam Street
Golden Gully
Large print and braille ballot papers
Large print or braille ballot papers are available for voters who are blind or have low vision – please register by 5 pm on Tuesday 10 February 2026. To register, call 8620 1314 during business hours.
How to nominate as a candidate
To nominate as a candidate, you must:
- be an Australian citizen and enrolled on the voters roll for Greater Bendigo City Council and
- be eligible to become a councillor should you be elected and
- have completed the mandatory candidate training before lodging your nomination with the election manager.
To nominate, complete the nomination form and lodge it with the election manager together with the $250 nomination fee. Nomination forms can be lodged by appointment during business hours from Monday 9 February 2026 until 12 noon on Tuesday 17 February 2026 at the election office.
Visit vec.vic.gov.au for more information and to pre-complete your nomination form using the online Candidate Helper.
If you use the online Candidate Helper, print your pre-completed form and make an appointment to lodge it with the election manager along with the nomination fee.
To make a nomination appointment, call 8620 1316 from Monday 9 February 2026.
Candidate information session
A candidate information session will be hosted online using Microsoft Teams at 6 pm on Wednesday 4 February 2026.
There is a link to register for the live stream on vec.vic.gov.au.
Candidate information kits containing nomination forms and other electoral information will be available online and from the election manager.
Nominations close 12 noon on Tuesday 17 February 2026.
State-enrolled voters can register for free VoterAlert SMS and email reminders at vec.vic.gov.au/voteralert.