Wyndham City Council, Heathdale Ward by-election

We're holding a by-election in Wyndham City Council, Heathdale Ward in July after Councillor Jennie Barrera resigned.

Candidate nominations are open until Tuesday 23 June

Find candidates

Voting

Voting in this by-election is by post. We have sent ballot packs to enrolled voters.

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 leaflet with voting instructions in multiple languages.

My ballot pack has not arrived

Visit the election office at Wyndham City Council Civic Centre, 45 Princes Highway (enter via the main driveway, located at the rear carpark), Werribee before 6 pm tonight to get a replacement on the spot.

Please check you're enrolled in Heathdale Ward before you visit the election office.

Check my enrolment

I'm away or have changed address

To discuss your options, you can call us on:

If you moved within or out of Heathdale Ward since the close of roll on Wednesday 20 May you must vote or risk a fine.

If you're away from Victoria and can't access your mail, keep evidence of your travel. We may send you an 'Apparent failure to vote notice' in the coming months. This is your opportunity to explain why you couldn't vote.

This notice is not a fine.

How to vote

Follow the instructions in your ballot pack to complete your vote. Visit our How to fill in a council ballot paper page if you're not sure what to do.

Before 6 pm on Friday 31 July, you must:

  • make sure your vote is in the mail
    or
  • drop it off at the election office.

Get your vote in the post as soon as possible to make sure it arrives in time to be counted. If you don't vote, we may send you a fine.

Who will vote?

You must vote if you were enrolled in Wyndham City Council, Heathdale Ward at 4 pm on Wednesday 20 May.

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

Check if you're enrolled

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.

Registrations for this by-election are closed.

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

Candidates

Nominations for this by-election are now closed. We cannot accept late nominations. 

Find candidates

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're a state-enrolled voter in Heathdale Ward, you must vote.

Check my enrolment

If you're a council-enrolled voter in Heathdale Ward, you must vote.

Contact Wyndham City Council on 1300 023 411 to check if you're a council-enrolled voter.

My ballot pack is lost or damaged

Call us on 131 832 for a replacement if:

  • you've lost your ballot pack
  • your ballot pack is damaged and unusable.

I'm away or have changed address

We can send a replacement ballot pack to a different address if:

  • you'll be away when ballot packs are posted from Monday 13 July
  • your mailing address has changed since the roll closed on Wednesday 20 May.

If you moved within or out of Heathdale Ward since Wednesday 21 May you must vote or risk a fine.

Call us on 131 832 if you need a replacement ballot pack, or +613 8620 1100 if you're outside of Victoria.

Public notices

  • Close of roll notice - published 8 May

    You must be enrolled to vote

    A by-election for Heathdale Ward in Wyndham 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 Wyndham City Council, Heathdale 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 Heathdale 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 Heathdale Ward and you are not on the state electoral roll or
    • you have lived at your current residential address in Heathdale 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 Heathdale Ward.

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

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

    If you meet any of the above-mentioned criteria and want to enrol, contact Wyndham City Council on 1300 023 411 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 023 411.

    Thinking about standing for election?

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

    • be an Australian citizen and enrolled on the voters roll for Wyndham 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 Wyndham City Council, Heathdale 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 Wyndham City Council election office is at:

    Wyndham City Council Civic Centre

    45 Princes Highway (enter via the main driveway, located at the rear carpark)

    Werribee

    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 Wyndham 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 Heathdale Ward covering parts of Werribee and Hoppers Crossing. Key landmarks include the Werribee River to the west, Tarneit Road and Heaths Road to the north, Morris Road and Old Geelong Road to the east, and a railway line along the south. Internal locality boundaries are lightly shown. 

    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. 

  • Voting details - published 6 July 2026

    Check the mail for your ballot pack

    Ballot packs containing voting material will be mailed to enrolled voters from Monday 13 July.   

    This is a postal election only.  

    If you do not receive your ballot pack by Tuesday 21 July 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: 

    Wyndham City Council Civic Centre
    45 Princes Hwy (enter via the main driveway, located at the rear carpark)
    Werribee

    Voting is compulsory

    Voting is compulsory for all voters who were enrolled at 4 pm on Wednesday 20 May 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 31 July 2026.

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