Vote by post: Prahran District by-election

Applications to vote by post in the Prahran District by-election close at 6 pm on Wednesday 5 February 2025.

We will start posting ballot packs from Tuesday 21 January 2025.

If you’re already a general postal voter in Prahran District, you don’t need to apply for a postal vote. Your ballot pack will be automatically posted to you.

Apply online

The quickest way to apply for a postal vote is online.

Apply for a postal vote (within Victoria)

Apply for a postal vote (outside Victoria)

Verification question

When you apply for a postal vote online, you need to pick a verification question and answer.

Keep a record of your answer, as you need to either write it on the declaration of your ballot pack or use it to access and download your ballot pack (if you asked us to email you your ballot pack).

We use the verification question to confirm your identity and mark you off the roll as having voted. The part of your ballot pack that shows details of your identity is removed before your vote is counted to make sure your vote is anonymous.

Hard copy applications

You can complete a paper application to vote by post. Paper application forms are available from:

• VEC reception (Level 11, 530 Collins Street, Melbourne)
• the election office (Suite 3.02, Level 3, 8 Palmerston Crescent, South Melbourne)
• Australia Post outlets in Prahran District.

You can also download and print a postal vote application form.

Changes to postal voting laws

Candidates and political parties are not allowed to send you postal vote application forms.

If you receive a postal vote application form from anyone other than us:

• do not fill it out
• report it to us as a breach of the Electoral Act 2002.

Get your ballot paper by email

If you are overseas, outside Victoria or in an area with infrequent or unreliable mail delivery, we can email you your ballot paper. This means you can download, print and post your vote back to us.

You will receive an email with a link to download and print your ballot paper. Make sure you have access to a printer if you choose this option.

Please note that this option does not mean you will be able to vote online. There is no online voting in this by-election. You must print, complete, and post us your ballot for your vote to count. 

Apply for a postal vote (outside Victoria)

Returning your postal vote

For your postal vote to count, make sure you:

• post it back to us before 6 pm on Saturday 8 February 2025, or
• drop it off at a voting centre in Prahran District before 6 pm on Saturday 8 February 2025.

We must receive your vote by Friday 14 February 2025 to admit it to the count. Please make sure you leave enough time for it to reach us. 

Mail pick-up times can be different from post box to post box. If you are returning your vote on Saturday 8 February 2025, please check the collection time on the box before posting it.

If we don’t receive your vote in time, you may receive a fine. 

General postal voters

If you are registered as a general postal voter, we will automatically mail you a ballot pack for all elections in your area. 

You can become a general postal voter if you cannot go to a voting centre for certain reasons.

Learn more and apply for general postal voting

The deadline for general postal voter applications for this by-election is 8 pm on Friday 27 December. You can apply to become a general postal voter after this date, but it will not apply for the Prahran District by-election.