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The nomination process 

In order to nominate as a candidate, and to have their name appear on the ballot paper for the election, prospective candidates must lodge their nomination form and nomination deposit during the nomination period from the close of rolls to 12noon on nomination day. 

It is the candidate’s responsibility to ensure a fully and correctly completed nomination and the relevant nomination deposit is received by this time.  

To assist prospective candidates and groups to nominate, the NSW Electoral Commission has developed an online application, the Nominations Online Management System, allowing candidates and groups to complete and lodge nomination forms and pay their nomination deposit online. The Nominations Online Management System will be accessible on the NSW Electoral Commission website from a date that is to be confirmed. The Nomination Online Management System is not available for Local Government by-elections.

If a person chooses not to use the Nominations Online Management System, paper nomination forms will be available from the NSW Electoral Commission website, from the Returning Officer, or by contacting us. Paper nomination forms must be used for Local Government by-elections. 

If using a paper nomination form, that form, a Candidate Information Sheet and the nomination deposit must be received by the Returning Officer for the council for which the nomination is made. Nominations may also be accepted at the council’s office in some local government areas.  Information about where nomination forms may be lodged in person is available from our website.  

On this page

Nomination by a registered political party

The Registered Officer or Deputy Registered Officer for a registered political party in the Local Government Register of Political Parties can nominate a candidate for Mayor or Councillor provided the party has been registered with the NSW Electoral Commission for 12 months prior to the close of rolls date for the election (in example, by 6pm on the 40th day prior to election day). 

Candidates being nominated by a registered political party should use the LG.202 Nomination for Mayor or Councillor – Registered Political Party nomination form. Candidates being nominated by a registered political party for a Local Government by-election should use the LGBY.202 Nomination for Mayor or Councillor - Registered Political Party nomination form. The registered political party may choose to have either the full or abbreviated party name printed below the candidate’s name on the ballot paper. 

If using the Nomination Online Management System, the system will produce the nomination form. The Nomination Online Management System is not available for Local Government by-elections.

Nomination by electors 

A person can be nominated by electors in the following manner: 

  • Mayor – by at least two electors enrolled in the council area  
  • Councillor – where the council area is undivided (no wards) by at least two electors enrolled in the council area, or 
  • Councillor – where there are wards, by at least two electors enrolled in the ward the candidate is contesting. 

Candidates to be nominated by two electors should use the form LG.203 Nomination form for Mayor or Councillor – Nomination by 2 electors. Candidates being nominated by two electors for a Local Government by-election should use the LGBY.203 Nomination for Mayor or Councillor - Nomination by 2 electors form.

If using the Nomination Online Management System, the system will produce the nomination form. The Nomination Online Management System is not available for Local Government by-elections.

Candidates for Mayor or Councillor should ensure that their nominators are enrolled for the council area or ward, as applicable. Nominators must be enrolled by 6pm on the day of the close of rolls. 

If nominating online, the Nomination Online Management System will automatically check the enrolment status of both the candidate and their nominators. Nominators can also check their enrolment status on the NSW Electoral Commission website. 

As it is possible that some nominators may not be correctly enrolled it is strongly recommended that candidates obtain more than two people as nominators. 

A person cannot nominate more candidates for Councillor than the number to be elected in a council area or ward, for example, if three candidates are to be elected in a ward, a person can only nominate three candidates for that ward. 

For the office of Mayor a person cannot nominate more than one candidate. 

A person can nominate a candidate for Councillor and the same candidate for Mayor. 

A person cannot nominate themselves in any election. 

The above restrictions do not apply to the Registered Officer or Deputy Registered Officer of a registered political party.

Nomination deposit 

Each nomination for Mayor or Councillor must be accompanied by the correct nomination deposit. 

When the nomination is lodged through the Nomination Online Management System the nomination deposit must be paid online by Visa or Mastercard. The nomination deposit cannot be paid online for Local Government by-elections.

If using a paper nomination form, the nomination deposit must be paid in cash, by bank cheque or credit union or building society cheque made out to the NSW Electoral Commission. The nomination deposit for Local Government by-elections must be paid in cash, bank cheque or credit union or building society cheque made out to the NSW Electoral Commission.

Personal cheques, Visa, Mastercard and BPay will not be accepted when lodging a paper nomination form. 

A nomination will be rejected if the correct deposit has not been received in full by 12noon on nomination day. 

The nomination deposit is $125 for each candidate, however, where candidates for Councillor lodge a LG.204 Request to form a group (NSW Local Government elections) or LGBY.204 Request to form a group (Local Government by-elections) form at the same time as the nomination forms, and that group comprises six or more candidates, the nomination deposit is capped at $625 for the group. Any candidates that are subsequently added to the group are required to pay a $125 nomination deposit. 

In the instance of grouped Councillor candidates, the nomination deposit is linked to individual candidates rather than to a group. 

The nomination deposit will be returned to the person who made the deposit one month after the declaration of election results:  

  • if the election is uncontested, or  
  • if the candidate dies before election day, or 
  • if the candidate withdraws his/her nomination, or 
  • if the candidate nomination is rejected, or
  • if the candidate is elected or receives at least four per cent of the total number of formal first preference votes cast at the election, or  
  • if the candidate is included in a group for the Councillor election, any one of the group is elected or receives at least four per cent of the total number of formal first preference votes. 

Any deposit not refunded is forfeited to the council. 

How to lodge nomination forms 

Nomination forms and deposit can only be lodged during the period from the day of the close of rolls to 12noon on nomination day. 

Candidates should ensure the following are lodged prior to the close of nominations: 

Completed nomination forms and nomination deposits can be lodged by either of the following methods: 

  • through the NSW Electoral Commission’s Nomination Online Management System which can be accessed via the NSW Electoral Commission website (the Nomination Online Management System is not available for Local Government by-elections ), or
  • paper forms to the Returning Officer for the council for which the nomination is made. The Returning Officer’s contact details will be available on the NSW Electoral Commission website or by calling the candidate call centre on 1300 022 011. 

Lodged nomination forms are not valid unless they are signed by the candidate, the Registered Officer (or Deputy Registered Officer), as applicable, or an image of the applicable signatures appears on the nomination forms. 

It is strongly recommended that any potential candidate who lodges their nomination calls the candidate call centre on 1300 022 011 to confirm the nomination has been received. 

The onus is on the candidate to ensure all applicable nomination forms and the nomination deposit are lodged by 12noon on nomination day.  

Any nomination forms or deposits received after 12 noon on nomination day will not be accepted. 

Defective nomination forms 

When a nomination is lodged, an election official will check the form(s) to ensure it has been fully completed. This includes ensuring that: 

  • the candidate appears on the roll of electors for the council area being contested at the close of the rolls 
  • the address on the nomination form matches the candidate’s enrolled address  
  • if the candidate is nominated by a registered political party, the details and signature of the Registered Officer (or Deputy Registered Officer) are correct  
  • if the candidate is nominated by two electors, the nominators are enrolled in the relevant council area or ward at the close of rolls and a nominator has not nominated more than the number of candidates to be elected for the council or ward  
  • the nomination form is complete in all other respects, and  
  • the nomination deposit has been paid. 

If the nomination papers are lodged in person the candidate (or their representative) should remain at the Returning Officer’s office or council office, as applicable, until all checks have been made.  

If the nomination is ultimately found to be defective, the candidate or their representative or the Registered Officer (or Deputy Registered Officer) as appropriate, will be informed. It is their responsibility to rectify and re-lodge any defective nomination by 12noon, nomination day. 

It is recommended that all nominations are lodged as early as possible so that any defects, which may be found during the checking process, can be fixed in time. If compliance with the necessary requirements has not occurred by 12noon nomination day, the nomination will be rejected. 

Once a nomination form has been lodged with the Returning Officer, a candidate can only amend details on the nomination form prior to 12 noon, nomination day. Amendments to the following details on a nomination form will only be accepted by the candidate completing the LG.232 Amendment to a nomination (NSW Local Government elections) or LGBY.232 Amendment to a nomination (Local Government by-elections) form:

  • candidate contact details (candidates who lodged online can amend their contact details through the Nomination Online Management system) 
  • ballot paper given name, or  
  • I do/I do not want ‘Independent’ printed on the ballot paper next to my name. 

List of candidates 

Nomination forms are not available for public inspection, other than the Candidate Information Sheet that accompanies a nomination. 

Certain details are required to be displayed on the NSW Electoral Commission website. These are: 

  • each candidate’s full name 
  • each candidate’s names as they will appear on the ballot paper, and  
  • the suburb, town or other locality of the candidate’s place of residence as enrolled (including silent electors). 

Candidates’ contact details will only be displayed on the NSW Electoral Commission website or released to the media if candidates have given their consent on the nomination form. 

Candidate information sheet 

The nomination of a candidate is not valid unless accompanied by a completed Candidate Information Sheet (CIS), which is included as part of the nomination form.

A fully and validly completed CIS must be received by the close of nominations, or the nomination will be rejected.

The CIS is a statutory declaration that must be witnessed and signed by an authorised person (under the Oaths Act 1900 (NSW)). Only certain people are authorised to witness a NSW statutory declaration. We recommend either a:

  • Justice of the peace - please note the NSW JP Public Register
  • Public notary
  • Lawyer (with a current practising certificate).

If your CIS is witnessed by a person other than those above, we strongly recommend that the witness clearly note why they are authorised to witness the declaration (in the CIS section ‘Qualification of authorised witness’). 

Note: The people authorised to witness a NSW statutory declaration are not the same as for a Commonwealth statutory declaration. If your CIS is not witnessed by an authorised witness, your nomination will be rejected. For this reason your CIS cannot be witnessed by a person on the basis they are members of professions such as accountants, Australia Post officers, Australian Defence Force officers, medical practitioners, police officers, pharmacists, public servants, etc. 

The Local Government Act makes it an offence to provide false or misleading information in a CIS. However, neither the Returning Officer nor the NSW Electoral Commission will determine during the nomination period whether or not any claims or statements made in a CIS are factual.

The NSW Electoral Commission must publish information in the CIS on our website and make it available for inspection at the Returning Officer’s office, pre-poll venues and polling places. The CIS will be displayed as it is provided. Grammar, misspellings and punctuation will not be corrected, however, material considered inappropriate such as offensive or obscene language may be edited. All information must be restricted to the space provided. Attachments will not be accepted.

Statistical information sheet 

Candidates for Mayor or Councillor are required to lodge a statistical information sheet as part of the nomination form. The statistical information sheet captures generic information such as sex, occupation, age and more. 

If the completed statistical information sheet has not been received by the Returning Officer by 12noon, nomination day, the Returning Officer will reject the candidate’s nomination. 

The statistical information sheet will be forwarded by the NSW Electoral Commission to the Office of Local Government at the completion of the election. 

The statistical information sheet is not required for Local Government by-election nominations.

Withdrawal of a nomination (see also “Withdrawal of a request to form a group”) 

Candidates can withdraw their nomination by providing a signed notice to the Returning Officer before the close of nominations at 12 noon, nomination day. The LG.231 Withdrawal of a candidate form is required to be completed, signed by the candidate and lodged with the Returning Officer. The form can be faxed or emailed to the Returning Officer, but if emailed, an image of the notice showing the candidate’s actual signature as appearing on the notice, must be included in or attached to the email. 

A Registered Officer/Deputy Registered Officer of a registered political party cannot withdraw a candidate’s nomination. 

If a candidate withdraws their nomination, their nomination deposit will be refunded after the election. 

Death of a candidate 

If a candidate for Mayor or Councillor dies between when they were nominated as a candidate by the Returning Officer (i.e. the day after nominations close) and 6pm on election day, the election fails for that position and a new election in that council or ward, as applicable, will be held at a later date.  

Uncontested election 

If by 12 noon, nomination day, only the required number of candidates (or less) have been duly nominated for Mayor or for Councillor for a council area or a ward, those candidates will be declared elected unopposed. 

Where less than the required number of candidates are nominated by 12 noon, nomination day, a by-election will be held at a later date to fill any vacancy. 

Ballot paper draw 

The draw to determine the order of candidates’ names on the ballot paper for Mayor and/or Councillor will take place at the respective Returning Officer’s office on the day after nomination day.  

Candidates or their representatives, registered political parties, media and any member of the public are welcome to attend the draw. 

How the ballot paper draws are conducted 

Mayoral election 

The Returning Officer places the name of each candidate on separate slips of paper on the table. Each slip is enclosed in separate plastic cylinders which are then sealed and placed in a small ballot box. The ballot box is closed and the Returning Officer shakes and rotates it to mix the cylinders. Anyone else present may also shake and rotate the box. The box is handed to an assistant who holds it so that the contents cannot be seen, and the Returning Officer withdraws the cylinders from the box one at a time.  

The names of the candidates will be recorded as they are drawn from the ballot box. This is the order that the candidate will appear on the ballot paper.  

Councillor election where there are no groups 

The Returning Officer will conduct the draw in the same manner as for the Mayor. 

Councillor election where there are groups 

The Returning Officer will conduct the draw in two parts. 

The first draw is to determine the order of the groups. The same process is undertaken as for the Mayor. However the first group drawn will be ‘Group A’, the second ‘Group B’, and so on, appearing left to right across the ballot paper.  

The second draw is for candidates who are not included in any group – the ‘Ungrouped’ candidates and this is the same process as for the mayoral draw. Those candidates are shown in a single column, as the last column on the ballot paper after the groups.

Last updated 24 October 2024 at 1:44 PM