State election candidate resources

There have been changes to Victoria's political finance laws following the passage of the Electoral Further Amendment Act 2026. For more information, see our page about the new political finance laws.

It is important for anyone who wants to become a candidate to know how key processes work. The candidate handbook has all the information you need to know about how elections work and how to nominate.

We will publish updated 2026 state election handbooks closer to the election.

To help you prepare to nominate, you can read the handbooks from recent state by-elections and the 2022 region election handbook for reference. These handbooks were correct at the time of publication and should be used for information only as changes may occur.

*Recent changes to the Electoral Act 2002 mean our handbooks are under review. Some content may be out of date. We will publish updated versions reflecting the changes soon.

We are introducing a new campaigner handbook for the 2026 state election to help campaigners and those supporting candidates outside voting centres in their important roles. Please check back closer to the election for a copy of the campaigner handbook.