About us
We are an independent and impartial body established under Victoria's Electoral Act 2002.
We hold:
- State elections
- local council elections
- some statutory elections and polls.
We also:
- maintain the register of Victorian electors (the electoral roll)
- promote public awareness and understanding of electoral issues
- support the Electoral Boundaries Commission
- administer Victoria’s political funding and donations disclosure rules.
Electoral Commissioner
Warwick Gately AM was appointed Victoria’s Electoral Commissioner in 2013. He has responsibility for the administration of the State’s register of electors (the roll) and the conduct of Victorian Parliamentary and local council elections as well as referendums and various statutory polls.
Warwick’s early career was with the Royal Australian Navy. He commanded the Destroyer HMAS Torrens and the Guided Missile Frigate HMAS Adelaide. He also supported the Chief of the Australian Defence Force as the Director General Joint Operations and Plans.
He was awarded a Defence Force Commendation for operations on the HMAS Adelaide in East Timor and was appointed as a Member (AM) in the Military Division of the Order of Australia in June 1999.
He holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science and Government, a Master’s Degree in Defence Studies and is a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.
Given Warwick’s many years in public service, he remains committed to the provision of effective services to the community, in this case, election services.
Victorian Electoral Commissioner Warwick Gately AM
Our vision
All Victorians actively participating in their democracy.
Our purpose
To deliver high quality, accessible electoral services with innovation, integrity and independence.
Our values
- Independence: we act with impartiality and integrity.
- Accountability: we are transparent and manage resources effectively.
- Innovation: we shape our future through creativity and leadership.
- Respect: we are considerate of ourselves, others and the environment.
- Collaboration: we work as a team with partners and communities.
Strategy 2023
Strategy 2023 was launched in July 2018. It sets out what is important to us as we face an increasingly complex and dynamic operating environment.
Our 5 year goal: We are change-ready and have the people, systems and relationships to make the most of opportunities.
People
We want to:
Create an environment that inspires our people to reach their full potential.
To achieve this we will:
- Develop leaders who always scan for opportunities and challenges, so they can better support our people to work and solve problems.
- Recruit our people for ability and attitude, and develop them based on their strengths.
Technology
We want to:
Provide our people and Victorians with smart, safe technology that is value for money and easy to use.
To achieve this we will:
- Deliver our IT plan so that we can deliver the standard of elections Victorians expect.
- Establish smart systems that talk to each other so we can have a better understanding of our business and how we can improve.
Decision-making
We want to:
Make smart decisions on time and by the book.
To achieve this we will:
- Improve processes to enable clever problem solving and better ways of working.
- Base our decision making on research, facts and expertise.
Relationships
We want to:
Learn from others outside the VEC about opportunities and challenges.
To achieve this we will:
- Consider all our networks and knowledge when thinking about how to improve our services.
- Focus on growing relationships that will help us spread our message and stay ahead of the curve.