Whittlesea City Council, Thomastown Ward by-election

You must be enrolled to vote

A by-election for Thomastown Ward in Whittlesea City Council will be held in May 2026. To be able to vote in the by-election, you must be enrolled by the close of roll at 4 pm on Wednesday 18 March 2026. Two categories of voters can be enrolled to vote in the Whittlesea City Council 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 30 May 2026 and
• you live in Thomastown 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 30 May 2026 and
• you live in Thomastown Ward and you are not on the state electoral roll or
• you have lived at your current residential address in Thomastown 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 18 March 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 30 May 2026 and
• not a state-enrolled voter in Thomastown Ward.

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

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

If you meet any of the above-mentioned criteria and want to enrol, contact Whittlesea City Council on 03 9217 2170 for a council enrolment form. The council must receive enrolment forms by the close of roll at 4 pm on Wednesday 18 March 2026.

How can I check if I am council-enrolled?

You can check your enrolment details by contacting the council on 03 9217 2170.

Thinking about standing for election?

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

• be an Australian citizen and enrolled on the voters roll for Whittlesea 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 18 March 2026. 

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

Vote by post by Friday 29 May

Voting

Ballot packs will be mailed to voters enrolled in the Whittlesea City Council, Thomastown Ward by-election from Monday 11 May 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 29 May 2026.

If you will be away

If you will be away during the voting period (Monday 11 May 2026 to Friday 29 May 2026), or your address has changed since Wednesday 18 March 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 13 April 2026.

Alternatively, you can go to the election office to vote in person, from 10 am on Wednesday 22 April 2026. The Whittlesea City Council election office is at:

109 Yale Drive
Epping

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 14 April 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 Whittlesea 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 13 April 2026 until 12 noon on Tuesday 21 April 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 13 April 2026.

Candidate information session

A candidate information session will be hosted online using Microsoft Teams at 6 pm on Wednesday 8 April 2026.

The VEC will publish the link to register for the live stream from Wednesday 1 April 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 21 June 2026.

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

Check the mail for your ballot pack

Ballot packs containing voting material will be mailed to enrolled voters from Monday 11 May 2026.

This is a postal election only. 

If you do not receive your ballot pack by Tuesday 19 May 2026 please visit vec.vic.gov.au to complete the online replacement form, or call 131 832 to arrange a replacement.

Candidates

Candidates who have nominated for the by-election are listed in the ballot packs and at vec.vic.gov.au.

A photo and candidate statement will also be included if provided by candidates. Responses to a candidate questionnaire, if provided, are available at vec.vic.gov.au.

How to vote correctly

You must complete your ballot paper correctly for your vote to count. Put the number 1 in the box next to the candidate you want to see elected, then number all the other boxes in order of your choice. You must number every box and only use each number once.

How to return your ballot pack

Put your completed ballot paper in the ballot paper envelope, complete the declaration, then post it ASAP using the reply-paid envelope provided, or hand deliver it during election office hours to:

109 Yale Drive, Epping

Voting is compulsory

Voting is compulsory for all voters who were enrolled at 4 pm on Wednesday 18 March 2026. This includes state-enrolled and council-enrolled voters.

If you don’t vote and don’t have a valid excuse, you may be fined.

Your completed ballot pack must be in the mail or hand delivered by 6 pm on Friday 29 May 2026.

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