An independent, non-partisan explainer of the Victorian state election on Saturday 28 November 2026 — what you're voting for, how the ballot papers work, and who's running in your area.
What is this election for?
You're electing the next Parliament of Victoria, which has two houses:
- Legislative Assembly (lower house) — 88 single-member electorates (called districts).
- Legislative Council (upper house) — 8 regions, each electing 5 members.
Both are elected on the same day, every 4 years. The last state election was 26 November 2022.
How do I actually vote?
Voting is compulsory for enrolled Victorians aged 18+. You can vote on election day, early in person, by post, or electronically if you qualify.
- Lower house: number every box in order of preference.
- Upper house: number at least 5 parties above the line, or at least 5 candidates below.
What's new this time
Victoria has abolished Group Voting Tickets for the upper house. Previously, if you voted "1" above the line, your preferences were allocated by the party according to backroom deals. Now you allocate your own preferences by numbering at least 5 boxes.
This brings Victoria into line with the federal Senate.
Who represents me?
Open the interactive map, click your area, and see:
- Your current MP (lower house) and 5 MLCs (upper house)
- The best-known candidates running in 2026
Easy to confuse — three different elections
Australians vote in three separate election cycles, each run by a different body on a different schedule. The 2026 Victorian state election is only one of them.
- Federal (Australian) elections — run by the AEC. Last held 3 May 2025; next due by Sep 2028.
- State (Victorian) elections — run by the VEC. This is the November 2026 one.
- Local council elections — run by the VEC on behalf of councils. Last held October 2024; next October 2028. This is where you elect councillors for wards.
If you're thinking about "my councillor" or "my ward" — that's local council, which was decided two years ago and isn't on the ballot this November.
→ All three cycles, side-by-side
Where this information comes from
All structural information (how voting works, boundaries, dates) comes from the Victorian Electoral Commission. Candidate lists are drawn from Wikipedia's running tally and will be superseded by the official VEC list once nominations close on 9 November 2026. This site is independent and non-partisan — if you find an error, treat the VEC as authoritative.