Latrobe City Council, Morwell River Ward by-election

We're holding a by-election in Latrobe City Council, Morwell River Ward in July after Councillor Tracie Lund resigned.

Candidate nominations are open until Tuesday 23 June.

Find candidates

Candidates

Nominations close at 12 noon on Tuesday June 23.

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 prepare your:

  • nomination forms
  • candidate statement
  • candidate questionnaire.

Go to Candidate Helper

Candidate statement and questionnaire

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.

This information will be publicly available on this website until the election result is declared.

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 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 roll for this by-election closed at 4 pm on Wednesday 20 May.

Am I enrolled?

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

Check my enrolment

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

Contact Latrobe City Council on 1300 367 700 to check if you are 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 of these options on Monday 13 July.

      If you moved within or out of Morwell River 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 Morwell River Ward when the roll closes at 4 pm on Wednesday Wednesday 20 May.

      If you don't vote, you may get a fine.

      Check my enrolment

      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 Morwell River Ward in Latrobe 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 Latrobe City Council, Morwell River 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 Morwell River 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 Morwell River Ward and you are not on the state electoral roll or
      • you have lived at your current residential address in Morwell River 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 Morwell River Ward.

      You are automatically enrolled for this by-election if you were enrolled as an owner ratepayer at the most recent election for Morwell River 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 Morwell River Ward since the last election but you are not a resident of Morwell River Ward or
      • you are not an Australian citizen and you live in, and pay rates for, a property in Morwell River Ward or
      • you pay rates on a property you occupy in Morwell River Ward and have no other voting entitlement within the City of Latrobe, for example you are a shop tenant and pay rates to Latrobe City Council for your tenancy, and you have no other voting entitlement within the City of Latrobe or
      • you are a director or company secretary of a corporation in Morwell River Ward that pays rates to Latrobe City Council and you have no other voting entitlement within the City of Latrobe.

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

      If you meet any of the above-mentioned criteria and want to enrol, contact Latrobe City Council on 1300 367 700 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 002 642.

      Thinking about standing for election?

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

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

      Thinking about standing for election? 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 Latrobe City Council, Morwell River 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 Latrobe City Council election office is at:

      40-50 Queens Parade

      Traralgon

      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 Latrobe 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 Morwell River Ward showing Hernes Oak, Driffield, Hazelwood and Morwell. The western edge follows Narracan Creek, with Plough Creek to the east. Major roads and features include Princes Freeway, Hourigan Road and Hazelwood Road, with a railway passing through Morwell. Internal locality boundaries are lightly indicated. 

      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.