Three candidates confirmed for Wyndham Heathdale Ward postal by-election as ballot mailout approaches

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Three candidates confirmed for Wyndham Heathdale Ward postal by-election as ballot mailout approaches

Three candidates have formally nominated for the Wyndham City Council Heathdale Ward postal by-election, the Victorian Electoral Commission (VEC) has confirmed. In ballot paper order, the candidates are Pippa Pace, Marcel Mahfoud, and Kim McAliney. Candidate statements and further information are available on the VEC website. The VEC will begin mailing ballot packs to all enrolled Heathdale Ward voters from Monday 13 July 2026, with voting closing at 6 pm on Friday 31 July. Election Manager Colleen Kopelke has urged voters to return their completed ballot material as soon as possible after receiving it, rather than waiting until the deadline. The by-election was triggered by the resignation of former councillor Jennie Barrera, and the successful candidate will serve the remainder of the council term.

This guide explains the federal position first. State, territory and local elections can use different rules, dates and ballot systems, so the commission named on your election material is the final operational source.

The useful question is not only “what is the rule?” but also “who administers it, which document controls it, and when might it change?” That distinction prevents an accurate general explanation from becoming wrong advice in a particular election, chamber or policy setting.

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The candidates in ballot paper order

The VEC has confirmed three candidates will contest the Heathdale Ward vacancy. In the order they appear on the ballot paper, they are: Pippa Pace, Marcel Mahfoud, and Kim McAliney. The ballot paper order is determined by a random draw conducted by the election manager after the close of nominations. The order has no bearing on the candidates' prospects but is the sequence voters will see when they receive their ballot pack.

Each candidate was given the opportunity to provide a candidate statement and photograph for inclusion in the ballot pack, as well as responses to a candidate questionnaire which are published on the VEC website at vec.vic.gov.au. Candidate statements and questionnaire answers allow voters to learn about the candidates' backgrounds, priorities, and reasons for standing before they cast their vote. The VEC makes these materials available to support informed voting but does not endorse or verify the content of candidate-provided information.

Evidence review

From nominations to ballot packs: the timeline so far

The nomination period opened on Monday 15 June and closed at 12 noon on Tuesday 23 June 2026. All three candidates lodged their nominations in person at the election office at 45 Princes Highway, Werribee, each paying the required $250 nomination fee. The candidates had to meet eligibility criteria including being an Australian citizen, being enrolled on the Wyndham City Council voters roll, being eligible to serve as a councillor, and having completed the mandatory candidate training.

With nominations now closed and the candidate list finalised, the VEC is preparing to mail ballot packs to all voters who were correctly enrolled in Heathdale Ward by the close of roll at 4 pm on Wednesday 20 May 2026. Ballot packs will be dispatched from Monday 13 July and will contain the ballot paper listing all three candidates, candidate statements, a ballot paper envelope, a reply-paid envelope, and multilingual voting instructions.

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How postal voting will work for this by-election

This by-election is being conducted entirely by post. There are no physical voting centres and no single election-day polling booths. Every enrolled voter will receive their ballot pack by mail. To vote, voters must number every box on the ballot paper — placing a 1 next to their first preference, then numbering all other candidates in order of preference. All boxes must be numbered and each number can only be used once.

Once the ballot paper is completed, voters place it inside the ballot paper envelope, complete the declaration on that envelope, and seal it. The sealed ballot paper envelope goes into the reply-paid envelope and must be posted or hand-delivered to the election office. The completed ballot material must be in the mail or delivered to the Wyndham City Council Civic Centre at 45 Princes Highway, Werribee, by 6 pm on Friday 31 July 2026. Voters are strongly advised to return their ballots as early as possible and to check local mail clearance times, which may be earlier than 6 pm on Friday.

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What happens if you do not receive your ballot pack

Ballot packs will be mailed from Monday 13 July 2026 to all enrolled voters at their enrolled address, or to their postal address if they have one registered. Voters who have not received their ballot pack by Tuesday 21 July should contact the VEC on 131 832 during business hours to arrange a replacement. For those outside Victoria, the international contact number is +613 8620 1100.

Voters who will be away during the voting period or whose mailing address has changed since the roll closed on 20 May can request a ballot pack redirection. Redirection requests must have been received by Monday 15 June 2026. Voters can also visit the election office in person from 10 am on Wednesday 24 June 2026 to vote. The election office is located at the Wyndham City Council Civic Centre, 45 Princes Highway, Werribee, and will remain open weekdays through to Friday 31 July.

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The compulsory voting obligation

Voting in Victorian local government elections is compulsory under the Local Government Act 2020. Every voter who was correctly enrolled in Heathdale Ward at 4 pm on Wednesday 20 May 2026 must vote. This applies to both state-enrolled voters (Australian citizens on the state electoral roll) and council-enrolled voters (ratepayers who are not state-enrolled, including non-citizens and corporation representatives).

Voters who do not vote and do not have a valid and sufficient reason may be issued with an apparent failure to vote notice and subsequently fined. Valid reasons can include illness, being overseas, religious observances, or other circumstances that prevented voting. The VEC assesses these on a case-by-case basis. State-enrolled voters can sign up for VoterAlert at vec.vic.gov.au/voteralert to receive free SMS and email reminders about election deadlines.

Evidence review

What happens after voting closes

After the close of voting at 6 pm on Friday 31 July 2026, the VEC will conduct the count. For a council by-election, votes are counted using the full preferential system. The ballot papers must be received by the deadline to be included in the count. Late-arriving ballots cannot be counted regardless of the postmark date, which is why the VEC strongly encourages early return of completed ballot packs.

The count will determine which of the three candidates has secured a majority of votes after the distribution of preferences. The successful candidate will be declared elected and will serve the remainder of the Heathdale Ward term on Wyndham City Council. The VEC publishes results progressively on its website at vec.vic.gov.au once counting begins.

Common questions

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