Whittlesea City Council, Thomastown Ward by-election

We're holding a by-election in Whittlesea City Council, Thomastown Ward this May after Councillor Nicholas James Brooks resigned.

Candidates

Candidate nominations:

  • open on Monday 13 April
  • close at 12 noon on Tuesday 21 April.

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 30 May 2026.
  • complete a nomination form
  • submit your completed nomination form in person at the election office. You can make an appointment from Friday 27 March.
  • pay the $250 nomination fee.

Candidate Helper

Candidate Helper can help you complete your:

  • nomination form
  • candidate statement
  • candidate questionnaire.

Candidate Helper will be available from Friday 27 March.

Candidate statement and questionnaire

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 result.

You must submit your statement, photo and questionnaires before 12 noon on Tuesday 21 April.

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 who can be a candidate and how to nominate you can:

Enrolment

The deadline to update your enrolment for this by-election is 4 pm on Wednesday 18 March.

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 Thomastown Ward for at least 1 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:

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

Contact Whittlesea City Council directly on 03 9217 2170 to check if you're already a council-enrolled voter or to apply to enrol.

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

If you own multiple properties in Thomastown Ward

You're enrolled once and get one vote in this election.

If you're a state-enrolled voter and you pay rates on another property in this council, you'll vote for your state-enrolled address.

Voting

Voting in this by-election is by post. We'll mail ballot packs to all enrolled voters from Monday 11 May.

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 post it or drop it off at the election office before 6 pm on Friday 29 May.

Who must vote

You must vote if you are enrolled in Whittlesea City Council, Thomastown Ward at 4 pm on Wednesday 18 March.

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

Check my enrolment

Large print or braille ballot packs

If you are 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 19 March.

Public notices

  • Close of roll notice - published 5 March 2026

    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