The Election Caretaker Period begins on the last day of candidate nominations and ends at 6pm on Election Day.
- Candidate nominations close: Tuesday 17 September 2024
- Election Day: Saturday 26 October 2024
The Election Caretaker Period begins on the last day of candidate nominations and ends at 6pm on Election Day.
During Caretaker Period most Council services will operate as usual.
During the election period, Council will follow procedures to prevent making decisions that would affect voting at an election or decisions that may unreasonably bind an incoming Council and could reasonably be deferred until after the election.
To ensure compliance with City of Ballarat Election Period Policy and the Local Government Act 2020 restrictions and limitations will apply to the following:
The City of Ballarat Election Period Policy sets out the restrictions, requirements and expectations that apply during the period leading up to an election. You can request a copy of the policy from City of Ballarat Governance team by email governance@ballarat.vic.gov.au
Every four years, City of Ballarat residents vote to elect Councillors to represent the Ballarat community. The next Council Election will be held on Saturday 26 October 2024. The Victorian Electoral Commission (VEC) is responsible for managing local Council elections.
There are changes to voting entitlement for the 2024 Council election. In a council election there are two types of enrolment:
You have one vote per council. If you are a state-enrolled voter, that is the enrolment you use to vote. You can apply to become a council-enrolled voter directly with the City of Ballarat if you are:
If you are a state-enrolled voter or have enrolled on the Council roll, you must vote. You may get a fine if you fail to vote. For more information on your entitlement to vote in the upcoming election, visit the Victorian Electoral Commission (VEC) website.
This election the Ballarat Municipality will move from 3 wards to 9, each of these 9 wards will have one elected Councillor, these new wards will be:
View or download maps showing: Current Ballarat Ward Boundaries and New Ballarat Ward Boundaries
To learn more about the Ballarat Wards (electoral boundaries) visit the Victorian Electoral Commission website
Activity | Date |
Community and Candidate training session | Thursday, 8 August |
Candidate Nominations open | Monday, 9 September |
Candidate Nominations close/ Caretaker Period Starts | 12pm (Midday) Tuesday, 17 September |
Voting Period Starts (Ballots mail out commences) | Monday, 7 October |
Voting Period Ends | 6pm Friday, 25 October |
Caretaker Period Ends | 6pm Saturday, 26 October |
The Wimmera Southern Mallee region (hosted by City of Ballarat) Candidate Information Session will be held:
In partnership with Victorian councils, the Municipal Association of Victoria (MAV) is delivering a number of information sessions for the community and prospective candidates. These sessions can be attended either in-person or online.
By attending one of these sessions, participants will be provided with information about:
To support and encourage a range of diverse candidates the MAV will also be hosting a number of additional sessions for women, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders, people with disabilities, youth, culturally and linguistically diverse and LGBTIQA+ communities.
Please note: These sessions are not the Local Government Compulsory Candidate Training. For more information about this please visit the Local Government Victoria Website
Local democracy hinges on the need for councils to represent the diverse needs and aspirations of our local communities.
This year’s council elections are an opportunity for Victorians to elect the candidates who they think best represent, at the local level, their vision and interests for a better, stronger and more sustainable future.
There are provisions in the Local Government Act 2020 on the election process, including who can become a candidate.
The Victorian Government provides this compulsory training for all Victorians who wish to nominate as a candidate in any council elections. The training will help you understand the role and responsibilities of being a councillor.
Under the Local Government Act 2020 you will not be able to nominate as a candidate unless you have completed the training.
Visit Local Government Victoria website for all information regarding Candidate training.
View or download the Candidate Training Information
Please note:
A person may nominate as a candidate for an election for any Ward of the Council, if they are qualified to be a Councillor under the Local Government Act 2020
For information on eligibility, visit the Victorian Electoral Commission (VEC) website.
Candidates must be on the voters roll for the council they wish to stand for, which is:
Candidates can nominate for any of the wards within the Local Government Area, even if their enrolled address is in a different ward within the Municipality (City of Ballarat).
Candidates can start campaigning at any time, this includes the time before official nomination.
When campaigning, please consider the following:
Find key information about the City of Ballarat below:
There is a range of useful resources for people who want to learn more about local government as a sector, and past council elections. Visit these websites if you would like more information:
For more information about Council elections email governance@ballarat.vic.gov.au
Cameron Montgomery, Executive Manager Governance and Risk or Rosie Wright, Coordinator Risk, Governance and Compliance will be in contact to help with your enquiries.