The 2020 Victorian local elections were held on 24 October 2020 to elect the councils of 76 of the 79 local government areas in Victoria, Australia.
Three councils did not hold elections − South Gippsland (dismissed in June 2019), Casey (dismissed in February 2020) and Whittlesea (dismissed in March 2020). An election for South Gippsland was held in October 2021, while Casey and Whittlesea did not have their elections until 2024.
Background The elections were held amid the COVID-19 Pandemic in Australia, with Melbourne still in lockdown at the time of the elections. A survey conducted in April 2020 showed that a significant majority of councils wanted the elections postponed for a year. However, Minister for Local Government Shaun Leane announced on 19 August that the elections would go ahead as scheduled.
Eight councils changed their electoral structure ahead of the election, moving to single-member wards as a result of the Local Government Act 2020:
Bayside City Council Cardinia Shire Council Darebin City Council Greater Dandenong City Council Kingston City Council Manningham City Council Maroondah City Council Whitehorse City Council
Additionally, Swan Hill and Mansfield moved to an unsubdivided structure.
Political parties The Liberal Party does not endorse candidates for local elections in Victoria. Labor chose to endorse some candidates, and some local party branches also made their own endorsements. Australian Progressives co-founder Peter Wingate contested Yarraville Ward in Maribyrnong as the party's first ever local elections candidate.
Labor endorsed a total of 38 candidates in the following LGAs: Ballarat (6 candidates) Hobsons Bay (3 candidate) Maribyrnong (7 candidates) Melbourne (5 candidates) Moonee Valley (6 candidates) Moreland (5 candidates) Wodonga (1 candidate) Yarra (5 candidates)
Additionally, the Labor Members for Darebin group endorsed 10 candidates (later disendorsing one). The ALP distanced themselves from the group, saying they did not endorse any candidates in Darebin.
Six other VEC-registered parties endorsed candidates: The Greens (88 candidates) Victorian Socialists (19 candidates) Animal Justice Party (16 candidates) Liberal Democrats (10 candidates) Reason Party (7 candidates) Sustainable Australia Party (6 candidates)
The "Put Climate First" alliance endorsed candidates in Darebin, Greater Geelong and Surf Coast.
Candidates A total of 2,186 candidates contested the elections.
Party changes before elections A number of councillors joined or left parties before the 2020 elections. Council Ward Councillor Former party New party Date Greater Dandenong Silverleaf Maria Sampey Independent Labor Labor 2017 Yarra Langridge Stephen Jolly The Socialists Independent Socialist November 2017 Monash Glen Waverley Lynette Saloumi Independent Sustainable Australia 2018 Maribyrnong Stony Creek Catherine Cumming Independent Justice 2 February 2018 Yarra Langridge Stephen Jolly Independent Socialist Victorian Socialists 5 February 2018 Moreland North-West Oscar Yildiz Labor Independent 7 June 2018 Glenelg Unsubdivided Anita Rank Independent Liberal Independent National 8 June 2018 Darebin Rucker Kim Le Cerf Greens Independent 28 December 2018 Moyne Unsubdivided Jim Doukas Country Independent Late 2018 Casey Four Oaks Rosalie Crestani Rise Up Australia Independent 26 June 2019 Yarra Langridge Stephen Jolly Victorian Socialists Independent Socialist 23 September 2019 Whittlesea North Emilia Sterjova Labor Independent 9 February 2020 Casey Springfield Sam Aziz Liberal Independent 16 February 2020
Results
Party Votes % Swing Seats Change Independents 445 Labor 80,639 2.44 13 Independent Liberal 50 Greens 36 10 Independent National 7 Animal Justice 2 2 Liberal Democrats 2 1 Team Sally Capp 24,395 0.74 2 2 Victorian Socialists 20,210 0.61 +0.61 1 1 Team Arron Wood 12,187 0.37 1 1 Banyule Ratepayers Action Group 11,230 0.34 0 Ratepayers of Port Phillip 8,761 0.27 +0.27 2 2 Independent Socialist 7,380 0.22 2 2 Bring Back Melbourne 6,683 0.20 1 1 Back To Business 6,572 0.20 1 1 Sue Bolton Moreland Team 5,062 0.15 1 Socialist Alliance 4,262 0.13 0 Save The Planet 2,934 0.09 0 Sustainable Australia 2,436 0.08 0 Richmond First 1,897 0.06 0 Morgan-Watts Team 1,541 0.05 0 1 Australia First 1,391 0.04 0 Residents First 1,110 0.03 0 Innovate Melbourne 817 0.02 0 Team Hakim 379 0.01 1 1 Melbourne - We All Matter 374 0.01 0 Independent Local Voice 351 0.01 0 Your Melbourne Team Get It Done 291 0.01 0 It Will Be Okay Melbourne 203 0.01 0 United People's Party 79 0.00 0 Put Climate First 1 1 Independent Labor 1 Reason 0 Formal votes 3,298,665 Informal votes Total Registered voters / turnout
Council control Party Councils Number Change Independent 66 No overall control 7 Burwood Liberals 1 Dandenong Labor 1 Greens 1 1
Aftermath
Yarra City Council was described Australia's "most left-wing local government" with The Greens receiving a majority and two independent socialists, including Stephen Jolly, elected. However, Gabrielle de Vietri resigned after winning the seat of Richmond and was replaced via countback by independent Michael Glynatsis, ending the Greens majority.
In November 2021, Moreland councillor Oscar Yildiz was part of the formation of the Victorians Party, a centrist political party which planned to contest the 2022 state election. Along with Yildiz, fellow Moreland councillor Helen Pavlidis-Mihalakos and Melbourne councillor Philip Le Liu joined the party, giving it 3 local government seats. The party disbanded in August 2022, citing financial difficulties.
The United Australia Party gained Victorian local representation in Victoria in May 2022, when Swan Hill councillor Stuart King joined the party to contest Mallee at the federal election.
The City of Moreland was renamed to Merri-bek in September 2022.
Two minor parties, the Angry Victorians Party and Restore Democracy Sack Dan Andrews, gained councillors in 2023 via different countbacks.
Electoral fraud allegations In February 2022, Labor councillor Milad El-Halabi resigned after being charged with conspiracy to cheat and defraud for allegedly tampering with the council elections in Moreland. He was replaced via countback in March 2022 by Socialist Alliance's Monica Harte.
On 31 March 2023, the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal found that El-Halabi was unduly elected. He has denied all allegations.
Greens resignations The Greens had five of its councillors resign from the party since the 2020 elections, and a further four seats have been lost due to resignations and deaths.
James Conlan (Merri-bek) left the party in solidarity with senator Lidia Thorpe, Amanda Stone (Yarra) resigned in February 2023, and Anab Mohamud (Yarra) resigned in February 2024.
In April 2024, both Greens councillors in Monash − Anjalee de Silva and Josh Fergeus − left the party.
By-elections and countbacks The Victorian Electoral Commission has held a number of by-elections and countbacks to fill vacancies on councils since the 2020 elections.
By-elections Council Ward Before Change AfterCouncillorPartyCauseDateDateCouncillorParty Northern Grampians South West N/A N/A No nominations at 2020 election 14 October 2020 4 December 2020 Trevor Gready Independent Hindmarsh East N/A N/A Only 1 nomination for 2 vacancies at 2020 election 21 October 2020 14 December 2020 Wendy Bywaters Independent Northern Grampians Kara Kara Karen Hyslop Independent Resignation 14 October 2020 1 March 2021 Eddy Ostarcevic Independent Cardinia Westernport Ray Brown Independent Death 19 March 2021 23 July 2021 Kaye Cameron Independent Yarra Ranges Streeton Cathrine Burnett-Wake Liberal Elected to Victorian Parliament 29 November 2021 18 February 2022 Andrew Fullaga Independent Maroondah Wonga Nora Lamont Liberal Resignation 7 December 2021 11 March 2022 Linda Hancock Independent Buloke Mallee Robert Priestly Independent Resignation 1 July 2022 28 October 2022 Bernadette Hogan Ind. National Northern Grampians Kara Kara Tony Driscoll Independent Death 1 August 2022 14 November 2022 Karen Hyslop Independent Mornington Peninsula Watson Paul Mercurio Independent Labor Elected to Victorian Parliament 21 December 2022 6 February 2023 Kate Roper Independent Maroondah Barngeong Marijke Graham Independent Resignation 8 September 2023 11 December 2023 Chris Jones Independent Greater Dandenong Yarraman Eden Foster Dandenong Labor Elected to Victorian Parliament 18 November 2023 9 March 2024 TBA TBA
Countbacks