This Saturday, NSW will hold local council elections. Eligible voters must vote at a registered polling venue in their enrolled council area. You can check where to vote at elections.nsw.gov.au.
The penalty for not voting in NSW is a $55 fine.
Councils
126 NSW councils are holding elections this weekend.
Local council is the third tier of government, beneath the State or Territory and Federal parliaments.
Candidates can be endorsed by a major party (e.g Labor or Liberal), or run as an independent.
Your council makes decisions about issues in your local area, including property development approvals, rubbish collection, and bike lanes.
Voting
Voting in the local council elections is compulsory for NSW residents who have lived in the state for at least one month and are aged 18 or older.
You must have enrolled to vote through the Australian Electoral Commission.
Votes must be cast at a venue – usually a town hall or public school – within your enrolled council area from 8am to 6pm on Saturday.
Voters will select from a list of candidates, one of whom is the mayor.
Out of area voting is not available at local council elections.
Early Voting
Voters who are travelling, interstate, or otherwise unable to attend a voting centre in their area on election day are eligible for early voting.
Each council area will have a location open for pre-polling until Friday afternoon. Opening and closing hours vary between venues.
Applications for postal voting closed on Monday.
NSW Liberals
Voters across the state may find Liberal candidates missing from their ballots.
138 Liberal Party candidates aren’t running in this election after essential paperwork wasn’t filed on time.
Council areas without any Liberal candidates in the running include Sydney’s Northern Beaches, the Blue Mountains, and Wollongong.
NSW Opposition Leader Mark Speakman called the situation “a monumental debacle”.
