Regulation changes to the conduct of the 2024 NSW Local Government elections

• The early voting period is reduced to the seven days before election day. For the 2024 NSW Local Government elections, early voting is available from Saturday, 7 September to Friday, 13 September 2024 (excluding Sunday) for eligible electors. View information about early voting eligibility.
• Postal vote certificates are no longer required to be printed on envelopes. This means an elector’s postal vote certificate may be sealed inside the envelope in which their vote is returned.
• Enrolled electors for the City of Sydney are no longer automatically qualified for early voting or for a postal vote. Electors wishing to cast a postal vote should contact the NSW Electoral Commission for an application. Postal vote applications close at 5pm on Monday, 9 September 2024. 

Technology assisted voting, other than telephone voting for electors who are blind or have low vision, is not to be used at the 2024 NSW Local Government elections. 

There are new requirements during the regulated period (5 August 2024 to 6pm on election day) about the placement and legibility of names and addresses in authorisation text on social media posts and SMS which constitute electoral material, and about the inclusion of names and addresses of authorising individuals in clear spoken English in automated telephone calls containing electoral matter. 

Authorisation for paid social media posts containing electoral material

The relevant name and address must be legibly shown in the social media post as authorisation. For example:

• if the social media post includes text – in the text
• if a photograph, image, video or animation is attached to or embedded in the social media post – in the photograph, image, video or animation. If the name and address are shown in a video or animation attached to or embedded in the post, the name and address must be legibly shown for at least three seconds. 

Authorisation for SMS text message containing electoral material

An SMS containing electoral material must include a hyperlink to a website on which the relevant name and address for the material are published, and the website which has the authorisation details must remain publicly available until the end of the regulated period (6pm on election day). 

Alternatively, an SMS containing electoral material can be distributed if a second SMS text message is sent (from the same number) immediately after the primary message and the second SMS contains the name and address authorisation information. 

Authorisation for electoral material that is an automated call

Automated telephone calls containing electoral matter (also known as ‘robocalls’) must contain, in a clear voice, spoken in English, the name and address of an individual on whose instructions the call was made. Contravention of this rule is a criminal offence. 

It is now an offence to film or photograph election officials and scrutineers while performing their duties, in a way that would likely make the official or scrutineer feel intimidated or harassed.

It is a further offence for any person to publish or distribute (e.g. on social media) such a film or photograph.

Election managers and polling place managers now have the ability to give health and safety directions at any election or place where voting is occurring, to maintain order and/or protect the health and safety of staff and voters. 

• The provisions setting out the method for the initial counting of votes for ballot papers that use group voting squares have been amended to be consistent with the method used at the 2023 NSW State election. 
• Pre-poll (early voting) ballot boxes are to be delivered to the Returning Officer as soon as practicable after 6pm on the day before election day, or earlier where specified by the Election Manager or Returning Officer.