Victoria votes 2026

Three different election cycles

In Victoria you vote in three completely separate elections, run by different bodies on different schedules. This page is the cheat-sheet.

Common confusion: wards and councillors belong to local council elections — not the state election. If you're asking "which ward am I in?" or "who's my councillor?" — that's local government, which was last elected in October 2024 and isn't on the ballot this November.
Federal State (Victoria) Local council
Run by Australian Electoral Commission (AEC) Victorian Electoral Commission (VEC) VEC on behalf of councils
You elect MPs (House of Reps) & Senators MPs (Assembly) & MLCs (Council) Councillors
Area you vote in Federal division (e.g. "Melbourne", "Macnamara") State district (e.g. "Albert Park") & state region Council ward (e.g. "Albert Park Ward" within Port Phillip Council)
Term length 3 years (House); 6 years (Senate, staggered) 4 years (both houses, fixed) 4 years
Last election 3 May 2025 26 November 2022 October 2024
Next election Due by Sep 2028 28 November 2026 October 2028
Lower-house ballot Full preferential, single-member seats Full preferential, single-member districts Varies by council (preferential, usually)
Upper-house ballot Senate: proportional, 6 or 12 per state Council: proportional, 5 per region n/a (councils have one house)

Why do the areas look different?

The three systems draw their boundaries independently. Your federal division, state district, and council ward rarely line up. For example, someone living in Albert Park might be in:

Each level has its own electoral commission activity. For this November's election, you'll only be voting on the state-level ones — district (lower house) and region (upper house).

What about by-elections?

If a sitting MP dies, resigns or is disqualified, a by-election is held in just that one seat. These happen whenever and don't disturb the overall cycle. For example, the Nepean state by-election was held in 2026 after the sitting MP resigned. By-elections can also happen in federal divisions and council wards.