Council elections

Local council elections are held on the fourth Saturday of October every four years and are run by the Victorian Electoral Commission (VEC).

The last election of Merri-bek Councillors was held in October 2020.

The election results from the October 2020 election can be found on the VEC website.

• Council roll

  You can apply to enrol to vote if you meet one of the following criteria:

  • You are not an Australian citizen, but you live and pay rates in a council.
  • You pay rates on a property you occupy and have no other entitlement to vote in the council
  • You are a director or company secretary of a corporation that pays rates and have no other entitlement to vote in the council
  • You are a ratepayer, you were not on the council roll at the 2016 council election and you are not on the State roll for that council area.

  For Council elections you will also be automatically enrolled if you were a non-resident ratepayer and, on the voters, roll for the last Council election.

  If you became a non-resident ratepayer (for example you bought an investment property) since the last election, or if you are responsible for the rates and occupy a property or you are the nominee of a corporation, you will need to apply to be on the voters roll.

• Mandatory candidate training

  All candidates in the election need to complete mandatory Local Government Candidate Training via Local Government Victoria.

• Election campaign donations

  2020 Election Campaign Donation Returns

  In accordance with the Local Government Act 2020, each candidate in the 2020 Council election must give an election campaign donation return to the Chief Executive Officer within 40 days after election day.

  2020 Election Campaign Donation Returns Summary