2024 Mid-Western Regional council by-election

Bulletin No.1 
Issued 29 October 2024

Election day is Saturday, 7 December 2024

The Mid-Western Regional council by-election will be held on Saturday, 7 December 2024. Key dates are available on our website.

Nominations are open

The nomination lodgement period ends 12 noon, Wednesday, 6 November 2024.

Please note, registration and nomination are separate processes. Registration as a candidate does not mean that the candidate has been nominated, or that the candidate is eligible to be nominated for the election. Registration as a candidate is for the purpose of the candidate accepting political donations or making payments for electoral expenditure (see below for details about the registration process).

Being nominated as a candidate is a separate process to registration for the election before being able to lawfully accept political donations or make payments for electoral expenditure.

To stand as a candidate and have your name included on the ballot paper for the election, you must lodge a completed nomination form and pay the nomination deposit before 12 noon, Wednesday, 6 November 2024. Nomination forms or nomination deposits received after that time cannot be accepted.

Watch a short explainer video about registration and nomination here.

Postal vote applications

Eligible electors can apply online or by completing a paper form available for download on our website.

Any political party or candidate intending to distribute postal vote applications to electors that also include electoral material must use the approved form of the application. You can request a copy of the approved form by emailing candidates@elections.nsw.gov.au.

If you intend to distribute postal vote applications that include electoral material it is recommended that a copy of your final artwork is provided to the NSW Electoral Commission for review, which may help to identify any issues of non-compliance with the law.

Your artwork, including any reply-paid envelope provided with the postal vote application, must not be designed to give the appearance that it is being sent directly to the NSW Electoral Commission when the envelope is to be sent elsewhere.

Completed postal vote applications returned by electors directly to you must be sent to the NSW Electoral Commission for processing as soon as possible, to ensure postal votes are distributed to electors in a timely manner.

All postal vote applications must be received by the NSW Electoral Commission by 5pm on Monday, 2 December 2024. Applications received after this time cannot be accepted.

Candidate and participant information

The Candidate handbook contains information to assist participants for the Mid-Western Regional council by-election.

A webinar is scheduled for 11am on Thursday, 31 October 2024. The webinar will provide detailed information about by-election processes and obligations. Candidates and political participants are strongly encouraged to attend. Join the webinar via this Teams link.

Candidate and third-party campaigners must register to start campaigning

Candidates and third-party campaigners must register for the election before being able to lawfully accept political donations or make payments for electoral expenditure.

Applications to register for the election to lawfully accept political donations or make payments for electoral expenditure must be lodged by or on Wednesday, 6 November 2024. Third-party campaigner registrations close on Monday, 2 December 2024.

Being registered as a candidate is a separate process to being nominated. Candidates who do not register before being nominated are deemed registered once they have been nominated by the Returning Officer on the day after the close of nominations. From that time, political donations can lawfully be accepted, and payments made for electoral expenditure for the election. Watch a short explainer video about registration and nomination. Apply to be registered as a candidate using Funding and Disclosure Online.

The details of registered candidates, third-party campaigners and official agents are included in publicly available Registers. The Registers are published on our website. If the registered details of a candidate change, the candidate must notify the NSW Electoral Commission of the change within 30 days. This can be done using Funding and Disclosure Online.

Candidate and participant helpdesk

The helpdesk is available for candidates, political parties and other political participants. All enquiries relating to the nominations process, electoral material, ballot papers, ballot paper draw, counting and results, scrutineers, candidate workers, the registration process, political donations and expenditure cap rules, campaign accounts and compliance can be directed to the candidate helpdesk.

The helpdesk is available 9am to 5pm Monday to Friday on 1300 022 011 or by email as follows:

• for enquiries about electoral funding, registration and disclosure rules: fdc@elections.nsw.gov.au
• for all other enquiries: candidates@elections.nsw.gov.au.