Candidate nominations have officially opened for the Nepean District by-election, with the Victorian Electoral Commission urging prospective contenders to move quickly ahead of the April deadlines. The by-election will be held on Saturday 2 May.
VEC Opens Formal Nomination Process
In a media release issued on Monday 16 March, Electoral Commissioner Sven Bluemmel said prospective candidates should not leave their paperwork to the last minute.
“Prospective candidates should act quickly to ensure they don’t miss out on lodging their nomination.”
Registered political parties must nominate their endorsed candidates by 12 noon on Thursday 9 April at the Victorian Electoral Commission head office.
Independent candidates must lodge their completed nomination form, including six nominators, along with a $350 deposit, with the Nepean District election manager by 12 noon on Friday 10 April at the election office in Nepean.
Candidate Helper And Ballot Draw Details
The VEC said independent candidates can reduce processing time by pre-filling their nomination form online using the Candidate Helper application before printing and lodging it in person with the nomination fee.
Details of nominated candidates will be progressively published on the VEC website as nominations are received. The election manager will also conduct the ballot draw at 1pm on Friday 10 April, with candidates and media invited to attend.
Five Candidates Have Already Announced Campaigns
While nominations have only just officially opened, five candidates have already publicly announced they intend to contest the Nepean by-election, according to STPL News’ existing candidate tracker. Those candidates are Anthony Marsh for the Liberal Party, Tracee Hutchison as an independent, Darren Hercus for One Nation, Peter Angelico for the Libertarian Party, and Sianan Healy for the Greens.
That list is expected to grow or change before nominations formally close, with the final confirmed field to be determined through the VEC process.
Campaign Enters New Stage
The opening of nominations marks a key stage in the by-election campaign, shifting the race from early announcements and speculation into the formal nomination period.
As parties and independents move to lock in their place on the ballot, voters in Nepean will now begin to get a clearer picture of the final field heading into the 2 May poll.
