Webinar Q&As

Candidates may request an electronic copy of the list of electors for the ward or council that they are contesting by completing the form Candidate request for list of electors LG.220 and submitting to enrolmentsupport@elections.nsw.gov.au.

The list of electors will only be made available once a person has been declared a candidate by the Returning Officer.  This takes place on the day after the close of nominations as part of the ballot paper draw process.

Postal voting is the only option for overseas electors at this election.

Electors may apply for a postal vote online or by contacting our call centre on 1300 135 736. Applications open 5 August 2024.

The candidate handbook will be available on our website mid-July.

A candidate, or group of candidates, must be registered with the NSW Electoral Commission for an election before accepting political donations or making payments for electoral expenditure. It is unlawful for unregistered candidates and groups to accept political donations or make payments for electoral expenditure.

Learn more about campaign accounts. Also see our Election funding, disclosures and compliance webinar on 18 June 2024. All webinars are published on the NSW Electoral Commission website.

No. Registered candidates and Registered groups are published on the NSWEC website. 

Our nomination online management system (NOMS) and paper nomination forms are now available.

Payments can be made online using our nomination online management system (NOMS) by Visa or Mastercard debit or credit card.

There are no restrictions or requirements about the relationship between nominators and candidates.

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

• mayor or councillor in an undivided area (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.

A candidate cannot nominate themselves, but if eligible, may nominate other candidates.

An elector nominates individual candidates.

An elector can only nominate:

• one person for the office of mayor 
• as many people for the office of councillor as there are positions to be elected. For example, if there are three councillors to be elected in a ward, an elector may only nominate three candidates for that ward.

A group may be formed for an election in which there are two or more councillors to be elected. The minimum number of candidates to form a group is two.

To be eligible for election as a councillor in an area, a person must be enrolled in that council area. Where a council has wards, a candidate for election as councillor must be enrolled in that council area, but not necessarily in the ward for which they are nominating.

The NSW Electoral Commission cannot confirm whether or not a potential candidate is eligible to nominate for an election. Candidates should obtain independent legal advice about their individual circumstances if they are concerned about their eligibility to nominate for election. Learn more about eligibility and qualification.

Yes. Electoral material, including on social media, must be authorised during the regulated period (Monday, 5 August 2024 to Saturday, 14 September 2024). 

Yes. Electoral material includes anything (whether printed or electronic) containing electoral matter intended, likely, or capable of influencing an elector’s vote, affecting the result of any election etc.

A candidate or group does not have to be registered for election funding purposes before publishing a campaign website. However, if the website requires incurring electoral expenditure, then the candidate or group must be registered before making any payment.

If you are referring to the registration of electoral material, online electoral material does not require registration. However, online electoral material, including on social media, must be authorised during the regulated period (Monday, 5 August 2024 to Saturday, 14 September 2024) and comply with other legislative requirements.

No.

No. It must be a full street address and suburb or locality, located in Australia, at which the person who authorised the material can usually be contacted during the day.

Information published by a council is generally not considered electoral material.