How to nominate

Learn how to complete your nomination paperwork and become a candidate in a local council election.

We recommend you use Candidate Helper, an online tool that guides you through the nomination process and saves you time at the election office.

Candidate Helper will be available before nominations open.

  • Fill out your nomination form

    When you nominate you must provide your:

    • full name
    • address
    • contact details
    • residential and postal addresses (if different from your enrolled address).

    This information will not be publicly available. It must match your current enrolment details. If we can’t confirm your enrolment details, you cannot nominate.

    We strongly recommend you check your enrolment before filling out your nomination form.

    We will also ask for:

    • how you want your name to appear on the ballot paper
    • campaign contact details (can be a phone number, email address or both).

    This information will be publicly available.

  • Prepare your statement and photo

    To give voters information about your background, qualifications and what you stand for, you can provide a:

    • candidate statement
    • recent photo of yourself.

    This information will be publicly available on this website and will be included in the ballot pack sent to all voters.

  • Answer the questionnaire

    The questionnaire is a mixture of yes/no, multiple choice and free-text responses designed to give voters more information about you.

    Each question is optional, you can skip any questions you don’t want to answer.

    The answers you provide will be publicly available on this website.

  • Lodge your nomination

    To finalise your nomination, you’ll need to make an appointment at the election office in the council you’re nominating in.

    You’ll be able to make an appointment before nominations open.

    You must bring your completed nomination paperwork with you to your appointment.

    If you’ve used Candidate Helper, you must print your nomination paperwork and bring it with you.

    If you’ve filled out hard copy forms, you must bring these forms with you. Please allow extra time at the election office to process your application.

  • Pay the nomination fee

    At your appointment, you must also pay a $250 nomination fee.

    This fee can be paid in either cash or a bank cheque made payable to ‘Victorian Electoral Commission’.

    We cannot accept personal cheques, credit or debit card payments, or money orders.

    We will refund your nomination fee if you:

    • are declared elected
    • receive at least 4% of the total formal first preference votes in the council or ward you nominated in.

    If you retire or withdraw your nomination, your fee will not be refunded.

    • Keep track of your progress by using the checklist at the end of the Candidate Handbook.

    Melbourne City Council candidates

    Additional documentation is required for Melbourne City Council candidates. More information will be available soon.

    More information

    To learn more about your rights and responsibilities as a local council candidate, you can: