| Country: | Victoria |
| Type: | parliamentary |
| Ongoing: | no |
| Election Date: | 27 August 1931 |
| Previous Election: | 1930 Victorian local elections |
| Previous Year: | 1930 |
| Next Election: | 1932 Victorian local elections |
| Next Year: | 1932 |
| Image1: | IND |
| Leader1: | N/A |
| Party1: | Independents |
| Seats1: | 150 |
| Popular Vote1: | 119,854 |
| Percentage1: | 79.22% |
| Leader2: | Edmond Hogan |
| Party2: | Australian Labor Party (Victorian Branch) |
| Last Election2: | 10 |
| Seats Before2: | 8 |
| Seats2: | 2 |
| Seat Change2: | 6 |
| Popular Vote2: | 13,234 |
| Percentage2: | 8.75% |
| Leader3: | Stanley Argyle |
| Party3: | Nationalist Party (Australia) |
| Last Election3: | 2 |
| Seats Before3: | 2 |
| Seats3: | 3 |
| Seat Change3: | 1 |
| Popular Vote3: | 5,829 |
| Percentage3: | 3.85% |
| Image4: | REF |
| Leader4: | No leader |
| Party4 Name: | no |
| Color4: | CEB447 |
| Last Election4: | 0 |
| Seats Before4: | 0 |
| Seats4: | 1 |
| Seat Change4: | 1 |
| Popular Vote4: | 272 |
| Percentage4: | 0.95% |
| Swing4: | 0.95 |
| Image5: | AFAL |
| Leader5: | Alexander Gibson |
| Party5: | All for Australia |
| Color5: | 5F8BA4 |
| Last Election5: | Did not exist |
| Seats Before5: | 0 |
| Seats5: | 0 |
| Popular Vote5: | 272 |
| Percentage5: | 0.18% |
| Swing5: | 0.18 |
| Leader6: | Murray Bourchier |
| Party6: | Country |
| Color6: | 0A6645 |
| Last Election6: | 0 |
| Seats Before6: | 0 |
| Seats6: | 0 |
| Popular Vote6: | 135 |
| Percentage6: | 0.09% |
| Leader7: | No leader |
| Party7: | Communist Party of Australia |
| Last Election7: | 0 |
| Seats Before7: | 0 |
| Seats7: | 0 |
| Popular Vote7: | 130 |
| Percentage7: | 0.09% |
The 1931 Victorian local elections were held on 27 August 1931 to elect the councils of 100 of the local government areas in Victoria, Australia. A number of by-elections were also held to fill extraordinary vacancies.[1]
Until the 1994 reforms introduced by the Kennett state government, all local elections were staggered, with not all councillors up for election each year.[2]
Labor went into the local elections with eight sitting councillors, after A. Pollock (Collingwood) and J. Ryan (Port Melbourne) failed to secure party endorsement for re-election. The party ran a total of 19 candidates − 17 in the Greater Melbourne area and two in Wonthaggi.[1]
Before the elections, the federal Nationalist Party merged with a group of defectors from the Labor who supported Joseph Lyons, and formed the United Australia Party. However, the Nationalist name continued to be used for the party's state branch until after the local elections when the name formally changed on 15 September 1931.[3]
A number of local parties contested the elections. Additionally, the All for Australia League contested its first elections, having been formed several months prior in January 1931.[4]
See main article: Results of the 1931 Victorian local elections.
| Party | Votes | % | Swing | Seats | Change | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Independents | 119,854 | 79.22 | 150 | |||||
| Labor | 13,234 | 8.75 | 2 | 8 | ||||
| Nationalist | 5,829 | 3.85 | 3 | 1 | ||||
| Progressive Ratepayers | 3,025 | 2.00 | 4 | 4 | ||||
| Port Melbourne Progressives | 2,329 | 1.54 | 2 | 2 | ||||
| Returned Soldiers | 1,480 | 0.98 | 1 | 1 | ||||
| Reform Movement | 1,431 | 0.95 | +0.95 | 1 | 1 | |||
| Independent Labor | 960 | 0.63 | 0 | |||||
| Preston Progressives | 836 | 0.55 | 1 | 1 | ||||
| Unemployed Association | 782 | 0.52 | 0 | |||||
| East Oakleigh Improvement | 386 | 0.26 | 0 | |||||
| Vigilance League | 375 | 0.25 | +0.25 | 0 | ||||
| All for Australia | 272 | 0.18 | +0.18 | 0 | ||||
| Chelsea Ratepayers | 217 | 0.14 | 0 | |||||
| Country | 135 | 0.09 | 0 | |||||
| Communist | 130 | 0.09 | 0 | |||||
| Total | 151,275 | 100.0 | 165 | |||||
Labor suffered losses in Brunswick, Coburg, Collingwood, Footscray, Heidelberg, Port Melbourne and Williamstown.[1]
Four female candidates contested the elections − Ethel Blagdon (Hawthorn), Marie Dalley (Kew), Jennie Baines (Port Melbourne) and Violet Lambert (Fern Tree Gully). Lambert was elected in South Riding, defeating sitting councillor J. Hobbs with 74.04% of the vote.[1]