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.

Candidate nominations are open until Tuesday 23 June.

Find candidates

Candidates

Nominations close at 12 noon on Tuesday 23 June.

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. Call us on 131 832 to make an appointment.
  • pay the $250 nomination fee.

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.

Candidate Helper

Candidate Helper can help you complete your:

  • nomination forms
  • candidate statement
  • candidate questionnaire.

Go to Candidate Helper

Candidate statement, questionnaire and photo

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

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

Who can be a candidate?

Read our Becoming a local council candidate page for the rules on 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:

Enrolment

The deadline to enrol this by-election was 4 pm on Wednesday 20 May.

Am I enrolled?

If you are a state-enrolled voter in Melaleuca Ward, you must vote.

Check my enrolment

If you are a council-enrolled voter in Melaleuca Ward, you must vote.

Contact Kingston City Council on 1300 653 356 to check if you're a council-enrolled voter.

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.

I'm away or have changed address

Applications to redirect your ballot pack have closed. We'll mail your ballot pack to your enrolled address from Monday 13 July.

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 Monday 13 July.

If you moved within or out of Melaleuca Ward since the roll closed on Wednesday 20 May, 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 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.

Registrations for this by-election are closed.

You can register any time for future elections. Contact us on:

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

  • Notice of election - published 2 June 2026

    Vote by post by Friday 31 July

    Voting

    Ballot packs will be mailed to voters enrolled in the Kingston City Council, Melaleuca Ward by-election from Monday 13 July 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 31 July 2026.

    If you will be away

    If you will be away during the voting period (Monday 13 July 2026 to Friday 31 July 2026), or your address has changed since Wednesday 20 May 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 15 June 2026. 

    Alternatively, you can go to the election office to vote in person, from 10 am on Wednesday 24 June 2026.

    The Kingston City Council election office is at:

    1230 Nepean Hwy

    Cheltenham

    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 16 June 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 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.

    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 15 June 2026 until 12 noon on Tuesday 23 June 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 15 June 2026. 

    Map of Melaleuca Ward showing an area covering Parkdale and Mordialloc, extending from the coastline in the west to Boundary Road in the east. Northern edges include Lower Dandenong Road, Warren Road, Victoria Street and Imes Street. Mordialloc Creek forms the southern boundary, with a railway line running north–south through the ward. 

    Candidate information session

    A candidate information session will be hosted online using Microsoft Teams at 6 pm on Wednesday 10 June 2026. 

    The VEC will publish the link to register for the live stream on Wednesday 3 June 2026 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 23 June 2026. 

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