Kingston City Council, Melaleuca Ward by-election

We're holding a by-election in Kingston City Council, Melaleuca Ward this July after Councillor Tess Law resigned.

Enrolment

The deadline to update your enrolment for this by-election is 4 pm on Wednesday 20 May.

If you're enrolled, you must vote. If you don't vote, we may send you a fine.

You must be correctly enrolled if you:

  • are an Australian citizen
  • are 18 years or older and
  • have lived in Melaleuca Ward for at least one month.

Check my enrolment

Update my details

Enrol to vote

Other ways to enrol

If you don't meet these criteria, you may still be able to enrol as a council-enrolled voter if you're:

You don't have to be an Australian citizen to become a council-enrolled voter.

Contact Kingston City Council on 1300 653 356 to check your council-enrolled status or apply.

Council enrolled voters must vote. If you don't vote we may send you a fine. 

If you own multiple properties in Melaleuca Ward

If you own multiple properties in Melaleuca Ward, you're enrolled once and get one vote in this election.

Candidates

Candidate nominations:

  • open on Monday 15 June
  • close at 12 noon on Tuesday 23 June. 

Information session

Join our online information session at 6 pm on Wednesday 10 June to learn more about becoming a candidate in this election. We'll hold this session using Microsoft Teams.

We'll share the link to register for this session on Wednesday 3 June. 

Joining the info session

You can join a Microsoft Teams meeting from any:

  • PC or Mac computer
  • smartphone
  • tablet device. 

 

You don't need a Microsoft account to join. For help visit Microsoft support.

How to nominate

To nominate, you must:

  • complete the Victorian Government's free Local government candidate training. You must have completed this training within 2 years of Saturday 1 August 2026
  • complete a nomination form
  • submit your completed nomination form in person at the election office. You can make an appointment from Friday 23 January
  • pay the $250 nomination fee. 

Candidate Helper

Candidate Helper is our online tool that helps you prepare your:

  • nomination forms
  • candidate statement and questionnaire
  • photograph. 

Candidate Helper will be available online from Friday 29 May.

Candidate statement, questionnaire and photo

To tell voters about your background, qualifications and what you stand for, you can submit:

  • a statement of up to 200 words
  • answers to the candidate questionnaire
  • a photo of yourself.

This information will be publicly available on this website until we declare the election results. Your photo and statement are also sent to voters in the postal ballot pack.

You must submit your statement, photo and questionnaires before 12 noon on Tuesday 23 June.

Who can be a candidate?

Read our Becoming a local council candidate page for the rules about who can be a candidate.

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:

Voting

Voting in this by-election is by post.

We'll mail ballot packs to all enrolled voters from Monday 13 July.

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.

How to vote

Follow the instructions in your ballot pack to complete your vote.

Make sure you return it before 6 pm on Friday 31 July. You can post it back to us or drop it off at the election office.

Who will vote?

You must vote if you're enrolled in Melaleuca Ward when the roll closes at 4 pm on Wednesday 20 May.

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

If you're blind or have low vision, you can register to get your ballot pack in large print or braille.

You only need to register once. If you've registered for past elections, you don't need to register again.

Registrations open on Thursday 21 May.

Public notices

  • Close of roll notice - published 8 May 2026

    You must be enrolled to vote

    A by-election for Melaleuca Ward in Kingston City Council will be held, with postal voting closing at 6 pm on Friday 31 July 2026. To be able to vote in the by-election, you must be enrolled by the close of roll at 4 pm on Wednesday 20 May 2026. Two categories of voters can be enrolled to vote in the Kingston City Council, Melaleuca Ward by-election: state-enrolled voters and council-enrolled voters.

    State-enrolled voters

    Am I enrolled to vote?

    You are automatically enrolled for this by-election if:

    • you will be 18 years of age or over on Saturday 1 August 2026 and
    • you live in Melaleuca Ward and
    • you are on the state electoral roll for your current address.

    You need to enrol if:

    • you are an Australian citizen aged 18 or over on Saturday 1 August 2026 and
    • you live in Melaleuca Ward and you are not on the state electoral roll or
    • you have lived at your current residential address in Melaleuca Ward for at least a month and have not yet updated your enrolment details, including any changes to your postal address.

    How do I enrol?

    You can enrol online at vec.vic.gov.au. You can also download an enrolment form from the website.

    All enrolment applications must be received by the Victorian Electoral Commission by the close of roll at 4 pm on Wednesday 20 May 2026.

    How can I check my state enrolment?

    You can check your enrolment details online at vec.vic.gov.au, or call 131 832.

    Council-enrolled voters

    Am I enrolled to vote?

    To be a council-enrolled voter, you must be:

    • 18 years of age or over on Saturday 1 August 2026 and
    • not a state-enrolled voter in Melaleuca Ward.

    You are automatically enrolled for this by-election if you were enrolled as an owner ratepayer at the most recent election for Melaleuca Ward.

    If your circumstances have changed since the most recent election and you are no longer an owner ratepayer of that property, you will not be automatically enrolled for this by-election. Depending on your circumstances, you may still be eligible to apply to be enrolled as a council-enrolled voter.

    Who else can enrol and vote?

    You may also apply to enrol if:

    • you have purchased a rateable property in Melaleuca Ward since the last election but you are not a resident of Melaleuca Ward or
    • you are not an Australian citizen and you live in, and pay rates for, a property in Melaleuca Ward or
    • you pay rates on a property you occupy in Melaleuca Ward and have no other voting entitlement within the City of Kingston, for example you are a shop tenant and pay rates to Kingston City Council for your tenancy, and you have no other voting entitlement within the City of Kingston or
    • you are a director or company secretary of a corporation in Melaleuca Ward that pays rates to Kingston City Council and you have no other voting entitlement within the City of Kingston.

    How do I apply to be a council-enrolled voter?

    If you meet any of the above-mentioned criteria and want to enrol, contact Kingston City Council on 1300 653 356 for a council enrolment form. The council must receive enrolment forms by the close of roll at 4 pm on Wednesday 20 May 2026.

    How can I check if I am council-enrolled?

    You can check your enrolment details by contacting the council on 1300 653 356.

    Thinking about standing for election?

    To nominate as a candidate for Kingston City Council, you must:

    • be an Australian citizen and enrolled on the voters roll for Kingston 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.

    For further information, visit vec.vic.gov.au.

    Enrolment closes 4 pm on Wednesday 20 May 2026.

    State-enrolled voters can register for free VoterAlert SMS and email reminders at vec.vic.gov.au