Pre-polling started on Saturday and will go until September 13, however early polling places will be closed on September 8.
Voting in the local election is mandatory, so if you know you can’t make it to the polls on September 14 you have to vote beforehand.
The NSW Electoral Commission will conduct the elections for 126 councils, while Liverpool and Fairfield City Councils will use a commercial election provider.
Local government elections are held every four years, on the second Saturday in September.
How can I vote in pre-poll?
Pre-poll locations will operate in every area, but hours and locations may vary, acting NSW Electoral Commissioner Matthew Phillips said.
“Opening hours will vary, so make sure you check when your chosen pre-poll place will be open before heading out to vote,” he said.
You must be eligible to vote in pre-polling.
When is the local government election?
The election is on Saturday, September 14. Polls open at 8am and close at 6pm.
Pre-poll voting will open from September 7, however, voting will not be open on Sunday, September 8.
Telephone and assisted voting applications also open on September 7.
If you are voting in person you must vote in your enrolled council area at a polling place.
You can find your local polling place and early polling places using the NSW Electorate’s address lookup tool.
You can vote from 8am until 6pm on September 14.
You can register for a mail-in vote here.
If you are interstate at the time of the election, you cannot vote in person, you will have to register for a mail-in vote.
There are hundreds of councillors up for election across multiple government parties.
Some areas may have councillors running from both major parties, while others may have councillors running from just one major party, up against smaller parties.
Many areas will also have candidates running as independents.
The local election lets residents decide who they want to represent them on a local level.
Voters elect councillors into their local council, to serve a term of four years.
The number of councillors elected varies from council to council.
When councils are divided into wards, it means an equal number of councillors are elected into each ward, with the elected person for that ward representing your area in the greater local council.
What if it’s my first time voting?
If you are voting for the first time, you have to make sure you are enrolled in your local electorate.
All the information about how to enrol, and updating your enrolment details, can be found on the NSW Electorate page.
