Groups and group voting squares
In an election for Councillors, candidates are entitled to form a group and request a group voting square on the ballot paper. At least two candidates are required to form a group.
Candidates do not need to be nominated by a registered political party to form a group or to qualify for a group voting square.
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Request to form a group
Two or more Councillor candidates may lodge a claim to form a group using the LG.204 Request to form a group (NSW Local Government elections) or LGBY.204 Request to form a group (Local Government by-elections) form.
The form can be completed online through the Nomination Online Management System. The Nomination Online Management System is not available for Local Government by-elections.
Paper forms are also available from the Returning Officer, the NSW Electoral Commission website or by calling the candidate call centre. This form must be received by the Returning Officer before the close of nominations at 12 noon, nomination day.
The claim must be signed by each candidate in the group, signifying their agreement to the order of the group, as it will appear on the ballot paper. The Registered Officer or Deputy Registered Officer of a registered political party cannot sign a claim to form a group on behalf of the group. A candidate can appear in only one request to form a group in a council area.
Composite groups
A group can be comprised of:
- candidates nominated by a single registered political party – The party name will be printed on the ballot paper below each candidate’s name and below the group voting square (if requested)
- candidates nominated by more than one registered political party (referred to as a composite group) – The respective party name will be printed on the ballot paper below each candidate’s name and the composite party name printed below the group voting square (if requested)
- candidates who have requested the word ‘Independent’ printed below their names. However, if Independent candidates form a group the word ‘Independent’ is not printed below the group voting square
- candidates who have chosen not to have the word ‘Independent’ printed below their names, or
- any combination of the above.
Where candidates nominated by a registered political party form a group with non-party candidates, the nominated registered political party candidates forfeit the right to have their party name printed below the group voting square. If requested, it will be printed below the candidate’s name.
Group voting squares
A group voting square is printed in the space above the black line on the ballot paper for each group which has requested a group voting square. The purpose of a group voting square is to allow voters to vote for a group or groups as an alternative to showing preferences for individual candidates below the line.
The LG.204 Request to form a group form (NSW Local Government elections) or LGBY.204 Request to form a group (Local Government by-elections) form will include provision to request a group voting square, but only if:
- in the case of a council that is undivided (no wards) – The number of candidates in the group is at least half the number of candidates to be elected (that is, if there are nine Councillors to be elected the group must have at least five candidates to qualify for a group voting square), or
- in the case of a council divided into wards – There are at least as many candidates in the group as there are candidates to be elected in that ward (that is, there are three Councillors to be elected in the ward the group must have at least three candidates to qualify for a group voting square).
However, unless more than one group has requested a group voting square, there will be no group voting squares on the ballot paper and therefore no above the line voting. In these cases the candidates who have formed a group will still be shown as a group but voters will only be able to mark their preferences for individual candidates.
Where all the candidates in the group have been nominated by the one registered political party or by a composite group comprising two or more registered political parties, the registered political party name or names is printed on the ballot paper below the group voting square above the line.
The group voting square of a group comprised of ‘Independent’ candidates or candidates who have chosen not to have ‘Independent’ is identified only by a letter of the alphabet. The word ‘Independent’ cannot be printed below the group voting square above the line, but is printed below each candidate’s name.
The group voting square of a group comprising a combination of candidates nominated by a registered political party and ‘Independent’ candidates is identified only by the allocated letter of the alphabet. The registered political party name or the word ‘Independent’ cannot be printed adjacent to the group voting square, but is printed adjacent to the respective candidate’s name.
Withdrawal of a request to form a group
A request to form a group can be withdrawn by lodging the LG.205 Withdrawal of claim to be included in a group (NSW Local Government elections) or LGBY.205 Withdrawal of claim to be included in a group (Local Government by-elections) form. The notice to withdraw the group must be signed by all the candidates who made the claim, signifying their agreement to dissolve the group. The withdrawal notice must be received by the Returning Officer before 12 noon, nomination day.
Should any of the candidates in the original group wish to form another group, all the candidates in the new group must sign a new LG.204 Request to form a group form (NSW Local Government elections) or LGBY.204 Request to form a group (Local Government by-elections) form and lodge it with the Returning Officer by 12 noon, nomination day. If also requesting a group voting square there must be the requisite number of candidates in the group.
A candidate can only withdraw from a group by withdrawing their entire nomination. If the person subsequently wishes to be an ungrouped candidate they will need to re-lodge a new nomination and nomination deposit by 12 noon, nomination day.
If the withdrawing candidate is the lead candidate in the group the group is considered dissolved.
If the withdrawing candidate is not the lead candidate in the group the group is not dissolved. The remaining candidates will automatically move up in order to fill the vacancy. It should be noted that the removal of a candidate may affect the group’s entitlement to have a group voting square printed above the line on the ballot paper.
A Registered Officer or Deputy Registered Officer of a registered political party cannot withdraw a request to form a group.
A LG.205 Withdrawal of claim to be included in a group (NSW Local Government elections) or LGBY.205 Withdrawal of claim to be included in a group (Local Government by-elections) form is available from the Returning Officer, the NSW Electoral Commission website or by calling the candidate call centre.
Ungrouped candidates
Candidates who do not form a group with other candidates are called ‘ungrouped’ candidates. There is nothing printed on the ballot paper to identify them as ‘ungrouped’ candidates and they cannot have a group voting square for Above The Line voting.
Ungrouped candidates appear in a single column, as the last column on the ballot paper.
Figure 1: Example of ballot paper with group voting squares
