How to fill out your ballot papers for the 2024 NSW Local Government elections
NSW Local Government elections will be held on Saturday, 14 September.
New South Wales is divided into local government areas. Each local government area is managed by a council and voters in each area elect people to represent them on the council.
Voting is compulsory.
Watch this video to understand:
- how to complete your ballot papers.
Preparing to vote
If you are planning to vote:
- in person before election day, or
- in person on election day
Check where you can vote by visiting elections.nsw.gov.au.
Enter the address of where you are enrolled to vote, to find a list of polling places and information about each venue’s opening hours and accessibility.
Completing your ballot papers
When it comes time to vote, you will be given one or more ballot papers to complete, depending on which council area or council ward you are enrolled in.
All voters will be given a Councillor ballot paper to complete. You may also receive a Mayor ballot paper, a referendum ballot paper and/or a poll ballot paper.
Read the instructions on each ballot paper carefully.
Councillor
The ‘Directions for voting’ on the ballot paper shows the minimum number of candidates you must vote for in order for your vote to count.
Write the number ‘1’ in the voting square next to the candidate of your first choice, the number ‘2’ in the voting square next to your second-choice candidate and so on, until you have voted for the minimum number of candidates required. You can vote for more candidates if you wish.
Some councils are divided into smaller areas called wards. If you live in one of these councils, you will vote for Councillors to represent your ward, who will join Councillors from other wards on the council.
In some councils, the ballot paper will have a thick line running across the page, with voting squares both above and below the line. On these ballot papers, you can mark your preferences either above the line, or below the line.
Voting above the line
If you vote above the line, you must write the number ‘1’ in the voting square next to the group of your first choice.
By doing this you are voting for that whole group of candidates in the order they are listed below that square.
You can vote for more groups by writing the numbers ‘2’, ‘3’ and so on in order of your preference.
If you vote above the line, do not write numbers in any squares below the line.
Voting below the line
You vote below the line if:
1. You want to vote for candidates within a group in the order of your choice
2. You want to vote for candidates from different groups in the order of your choice
3. You want to vote for ungrouped candidates in the order of your choice
4. You want to vote for a mixture of grouped and ungrouped candidates in the order of your choice.
To vote below the line, write the number ‘1’ in the square next to the candidate of your first choice, write ‘2’ in the square next to your second preference, ‘3’ in the square next to your third preference and so on. For your vote to count, you must select the minimum number of candidates as indicated in the ‘Directions for voting’.
If you vote below the line, do not write numbers in any squares above the line.
Mayor
In some councils, the Mayor is elected directly by the voters. If you live in one of these areas, you will also receive a ballot paper for the mayoral election.
If you have to complete a Mayor ballot paper, you must write the number ‘1’ in the voting square next to the candidate of your first choice. You can vote for more candidates by writing the numbers ‘2’, ‘3’ and so on in order of your preference.
In other councils, the Mayor is chosen by the Councillors after the election.
Referendum or poll
Some councils may also hold a referendum or a poll. This could be a question about changing the way the Mayor or Councillors are elected in the future, or a poll about an issue in your community.
To complete a referendum or poll paper, follow the instructions to answer ‘YES’ or ‘NO’.
Voting by post
If you apply for a postal vote or you are registered as a postal voter for every election, you will receive your ballot papers in the mail. You will also have other information to complete, such as a postal vote certificate. A witness needs to sign and date the postal vote certificate in the spaces provided.
If you need help to understand the postal vote instructions and to complete your ballot papers and postal vote certificate, you can ask a family member, friend or carer to help you. Please read the instructions carefully.
For your postal vote to be counted, your completed ballot papers and postal vote certificate must be received by the NSW Electoral Commission by 6pm on Friday, 27 September 2024.
Further assistance
If you need further assistance completing your ballot papers, you can ask an election official if you are voting in person at a polling place, or take a friend, family member or carer with you. Your vote is secret but, if you need help, it's okay to take someone to the voting screen with you. Similarly, you can ask a friend, family member or carer for help if you are completing a postal vote ballot paper and postal vote certificate.
For more information about the 2024 Local Government elections, visit elections.nsw.gov.au
