2020 Victorian local elections

The elections were held amid the COVID-19 Pandemic in Australia, with Melbourne still in lockdown at the time of the elections.^[4] A survey conducted in April 2020 showed that a significant majority of councils wanted the elections postponed for a year.^[5] However, Minister for Local Government Shaun Leane announced on 19 August that the elections would go ahead as scheduled.^[6]

Eight councils changed their electoral structure ahead of the election, moving to single-member wards as a result of the Local Government Act 2020:^[7]

• 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.^[7]

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.^[8][9] Australian Progressives co-founder Peter Wingate contested Yarraville Ward in Maribyrnong as the party's first ever local elections candidate.^[10]

Labor endorsed a total of 35 candidates in the following LGAs:^[11][12]

• Ballarat (6 candidates)
• Maribyrnong (7 candidates)
• Melbourne (3 candidates, plus 2 in the leadership team election)
• 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.^[13]

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)

A number of councillors joined or left parties before the 2020 elections.

Party			Votes	%	Swing	Seats	Change
	Independents					445
	Labor					67
	Liberal					50
	Greens					39	10
	Independent National					7
	Animal Justice					2	2
	Liberal Democrats					2	1
	Team Sally Capp		24,395			2	2
	Team Arron Wood		12,187			1	1
	Banyule Ratepayers Action Group		11,230			0
	Residents of Port Phillip		8,761			2	2
	Independent Socialist		7,380			2	2
	Bring Back Melbourne		6,683			1	1
	Back To Business		6,572			1	1
	Sue Bolton Moreland Team		5,062			1
	Save The Planet		2,934			0
	Richmond First		1,897			0
	Morgan-Watts Team		1,541			0	1
	Australia First		1,391			0
	Residents First		1,110			0
	Innovate Melbourne		817			0
	Sustainable Australia		810			0
	Team Hakim		379			1	1
	Melbourne - We All Matter		374			0
	Independent Local Voice		351			0
	Your Melbourne Team Get It Done		291			0
	It Will Be Okay Melbourne		203			0
	United People's Party		79			0
	Put Climate First					1	1
	Independent Labor					1
	Socialist Alliance					0
	Victorian Socialists					1	1
	Reason					0

Council control

Party		Councils
		Number	Change
	Independent	66
	No overall control	7
	Burwood Liberals	1
	Dandenong Labor	1
	Greens	1	1

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.^[14] However, Gabrielle de Vietri resigned after winning the seat of Richmond and was replaced via countback by independent Michael Glynatsis, ending the Greens majority.^[15][16]

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.^[17] Along with Yildiz, fellow Moreland councillor Helen Pavlidis-Mihalakos and Melbourne councillor Philip Le Liu joined the party, giving it 3 local government seats.^[18] The party disbanded in August 2022, citing financial difficulties.^[19]

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.^[20]

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.^[21]

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.^[22] He was replaced via countback in March 2022 by Socialist Alliance's Monica Harte.^[23]

On 31 March 2023, the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal found that El-Halabi was unduly elected. He has denied all allegations.^[24]

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.^[25]

In April 2024, both Greens councillors in Monash − Anjalee de Silva and Josh Fergeus − left the party.^[26]

The Victorian Electoral Commission has held a number of by-elections and countbacks to fill vacancies on councils since the 2020 elections.^[27][28]

By-elections

Countbacks