2024 Epping, Hornsby and Pittwater State by-elections bulletin No.4
Bulletin No.4
Issued 11 October 2024
On this page
Candidate helpdesk
The Candidate helpdesk is available for candidates, registered political parties and other political participants. Operating hours are from:
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9am to 5pm Monday to Friday
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8am to 6pm on Saturday, 12 October, and
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7am to 6pm on election day, Saturday, 19 October.
All enquiries relating to electoral material, scrutineers, candidate workers and counting and results should be directed to the candidate helpdesk by email to candidates@elections.nsw.gov.au or call 1300 022 011.
Email enquiries about candidate and third-party campaigner electoral funding registrations and the rules that apply to political donations and electoral expenditure can be directed to fdc@elections.nsw.gov.au
All other email enquiries from political parties, candidates and other political participants should be sent using the Contact us form on our website.
Candidate details available on website
Details of the candidates for each of the by-elections are published on our website.
The information displayed for each candidate includes:
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name as it will appear on the ballot paper
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suburb, town or other locality of their place of residence
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affiliation to a registered political party or if independent
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child protection declaration
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contact details (if provided for publication)
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registered electoral material (if applicable).
Voting options available to electors
Postal voting
Eligible electors can apply for a postal vote online, over the phone or by downloading and printing the form available on our website.
Postal vote applications close at 6pm, Monday, 14 October 2024. Late applications cannot be accepted.
Distribution of postal votes have commenced. Electors must complete their ballot papers and postal vote certificates by 6pm on election day, Saturday, 19 October 2024. Completed postal votes must be received by the NSW Electoral Commission by 6pm on Friday, 1 November 2024.
Early voting
Early voting is available on Saturday, 12 October 2024 and from Monday, 14 October to Friday, 18 October 2024. Early voting centres can be viewed on our website. Opening hours may vary for each location.
Telephone assisted voting
Telephone assisted voting is only available to people who are blind or have low vision. Electors can apply and vote from 9am Saturday, 12 October 2024. Applications close at 6pm Friday, 18 October 2024. Voting will be available until 1pm on election day Saturday, 19 October 2024. More information about telephone assisted voting for these by-elections is available on our website.
Election day
Voting centres will be open from 8am to 6pm on election day, Saturday, 19 October 2024. Electors can find information about the voting centres on our website.
Scrutineers, candidate workers and volunteers
Role of scrutineers
Scrutineers represent candidates and political parties to observe election processes and see that rules are followed fairly and impartially. A scrutineer’s presence provides an additional level of assurance to political participants and the public regarding the integrity of the election process.
Candidates and parties may appoint scrutineers to represent them at any location where voting is carried out, declaration and postal vote envelopes are scrutinised, and where votes are counted. Important information for political participants about scrutineering can be found in the Candidate handbook.
Scrutineers must be appointed in writing by completing a SE.213 Appointment of a Scrutineer form available on our website. Scrutineers must complete the declaration on that form each time they attend a scrutineering location.
Role of candidate workers and volunteers
Candidate (including party) workers and volunteers are allowed to:
- distribute electoral material more than six metres from the entrance of an early voting centre or election day voting centre, subject to any directions relating to safety or order issued by election officials
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use the toilet facilities of the early voting centre or election day voting centre
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enter an early voting centre or voting centre when voting is occurring to discuss safety or order issues with the voting centre manager, or to collect or store electoral material (if space permits) when voting is not occurring
A campaign t-shirt may be worn by workers when entering a voting centre for the above purposes.
More information about candidate workers or volunteers is available in the Candidate handbook.
Postal vote scrutiny
Scrutiny of returned postal votes will occur from Monday,14 October until Friday, 1 November at the Election Manager’s office for each district. Scrutiny includes the inspection of all returned postal vote certificates to confirm that they have been completed in accordance with legislation.
More information about the postal vote scrutiny timeline can be found in the Vote count information for the by-elections.
Counting and results
Detailed information about the counting of votes and determination of results is available in the Vote count information for the by-elections, including:
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an overview of the initial count and the two candidates preferred count beginning on election night, the check count after the election day, and the distribution of preferences to determine the elected candidate
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the timeline and locations of scrutiny and counting, including postal and declaration votes
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early voting centres to be counted on election night
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vote count reports that will be published on our website.
Electoral funding and disclosure requirements
A reminder that candidates, parties and third-party campaigners must be familiar with the rules that apply to political donations and electoral expenditure. More information is available on our website and in the Candidate handbook.
Registration of candidates
The deadline for a candidate to register to accept political donations or make payments for electoral expenditure was the close of nominations. Any candidate who had not already registered was taken to be registered on the day their nomination form was lodged. This means they could lawfully accept political donations and make payments for electorate expenditure for the by-election from that time.
Registration of third-party campaigners
Registration for third-party campaigners close Monday, 14 October 2024. A third-party campaigner is an individual or entity that incurs more than $2,000 of electoral expenditure in relation to the election but does not stand as a candidate, and is not a political party, associated entity or elected member.
When registering, a third-party campaigner must appoint an official agent who is required to comply with disclosure and campaign account legal requirements on behalf of the third-party campaigner. Third-party campaigners must be registered prior to making payment for electoral expenditure incurred in the capped expenditure period for the by-election. Register using Funding and disclosure online.
View the public registers of candidates, third-party campaigners and parties.
Capped expenditure period
Electoral expenditure of candidates, parties and third-party campaigners participating in the election is capped. The capped expenditure period for the by-election commenced on Friday, 27 September 2024 and ends on election day, Saturday, 19 October 2024.
There are different caps applicable to candidates (including expenditure incurred by their party) and third-party campaigners during this period. Visit our website for more information on expenditure caps and electoral expenditure.
Public funding for election campaigns
Candidates for state elections may be eligible to be reimbursed for certain electoral expenditure incurred in connection with a state by-election in the three-month period preceding the election day. Eligibility criteria apply. More information is available in the Candidate handbook.
Political donations
Strict rules apply to political donations, including:
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prohibited donors and unlawful donations
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different types of political donations
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how political donations can be used
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who can make and who can receive a political donation, including individuals and entities who are prohibited from making political donations
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caps on political donations.
For further information on political donations go to our website.
Disclosure of political donations and electoral expenditure
A disclosure is the reporting of information to the NSW Electoral Commission related to:
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political donations received and made, and electoral expenditure incurred by parties, candidates and associated entities,
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electoral expenditure incurred during a capped expenditure period and political donations received by third-party campaigners to pay for that electoral expenditure, and
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reportable political donations made by major political donors.
The following types of disclosures apply for State by-elections:
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half-yearly disclosures of political donations
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annual disclosures of electoral expenditure, and
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annual disclosures of reportable political donations (for major political donors only).
Disclosures can be made using Funding and disclosure online by following the instructions on entering data and completing a disclosure form. Information to be disclosed can be entered at any time from the start of the disclosure period until the disclosure lodgement.
Penalties apply (including fines and prosecution) for failing to submit a disclosure by the deadline, making a false statement or making an incomplete disclosure without a reasonable excuse. Disclosure obligations apply even if no political donations were made or received, or if no electoral expenditure was incurred, and regardless of whether you are elected.
Candidates as well as the next elected member, parties and third-party campaigners have the following disclosure obligations:
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From 1 January 2025 to 11 February 2025 disclosures must be lodged of reportable political donations made or received from 1 July 2024 to 31 December 2024.
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From 1 July 2025 to 22 September 2025 disclosures must be lodged for electoral expenditure incurred during the annual period 1 July 2024 to 30 June 2025.
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1 July 2025 to 11 August 2025 disclosures must be lodged of reportable political donations made or received from 1 January to 30 June 2025.
More information about disclosures can be found on the website and the Candidate handbook.
Reporting non-compliant electoral material
If you have concerns that election material is unlawful during the regulated election period, report it to us by email via candidates@elections.nsw.gov.au. Reports should not be made by telephone.
A report should include a copy of the electoral material. For electoral material published on the internet, including social media, a URL link or the name of the social media account and a screenshot should be provided. An emailed report will be acknowledged and managed in accordance with our published policies. Unless permitted by law, the NSW Electoral Commission is unable to disclose information about the outcome of specific matters reviewed.
Concerns about electoral material displayed or distributed at early voting centres or voting centres on election day may also be raised directly with the voting centre manager.
Disinformation register
Our Disinformation register tracks and rebuts prominent false and misleading statements about electoral processes in New South Wales. It also notes any action taken by the NSW Electoral Commission.
False information about election processes circulating in the community, including through different forms of media, can undermine confidence in the integrity of democratic processes. The NSW Electoral Commission will continue to monitor media and social media during the election period.