A team of about 10 people are working in the local Australian Electoral Commission office processing the return envelopes, which will be counted from Sunday. 

Votes must be returned by 6pm Friday, October 26, and Returning Officer Tony McDowell said he expected a crowd of people to flood the office complaining of lost ballot cards. 

People with lost cards should visit the AEC office in the Beehive Building. 

Winners from the election are expected to be declared at 2pm on Monday, October 29.

Council election comment

The Victorian Electoral Commission states a person must not print, publish or distribute or cause, permit or authorize to be printed, published or distributed, an electoral advertisement, handbill, pamphlet or notice unless  the name and address of the person who authorized the electoral advertisement, handbill, pamphlet or notice appears at its end. 

The address must be a physical address not a PO box. The exception to this is a letter to the editor where an author’s name and suburb/locality is acceptable. This rule also covers website comments. Any comment must have author's name and suburb/locality at the end. Any comment not following these rules can not be published.