If you want to get in early and get your voting done for the upcoming council elections tomorrow, Saturday 7 September is your first chance to vote in the pre-polls.
Vote for mayor
Lismore, Byron, Ballina and Richmond Valley local government area (LGA) all have a popularly elected Mayor while Tweed, Kygole and Clarance LGAs mayors are elected by the councillors.
If your council has a popularly elected Mayor then you will receive two ballot papers one for Mayor and one for councillors. You need to then write the number ‘1’ in the voting square next to the candidate of your first choice. You can vote for more candidates by writing the numbers ‘2’, ‘3’ and so on in order of your preference.
Voting for councillors
You will have a choice to vote above or below the line when you are voting for councillors. If you wish to vote for an ‘ungropued candidate’ or a grop that does not have a square above the line then you will need to vote below the line.
Above the line
To vote above the line you ‘must place a number “1” in one of the group voting squares above the thick horizontal line on the ballot paper. By doing this you are voting for that whole group of candidates in the order they are listed below that square, starting from the top,’ stated the NSW Electoral Commission website.
While you do not need to list more than one group if you vote above the line it is important to remember that your vote will end there if you do not number any further candidate groups above the line.
Don’t waste your vote
By numbering more than one group of candidates you can make your vote count further and won’t be wasted and there is the chance you can bring in a more diverse and representative council.
Below the line voting
To vote below the line you need to follow the instructions on what is the minimum number of candidates you must vote for.
‘Your first preference is indicated by placing a “1”’ in the square next to the candidate of your choice, your second preference a “2”, your third preference a “3”, and so on,’ explain the NSW Electoral Commission.
The number of squares you need to number will depend on how many candidates are running. This will be at least half the number to be elected – rounded up. For example:
- if there are three councillors to be elected, you must vote for at least two candidates
- if there are nine councillors to be elected, you must vote for at least five candidates
Reasons to vote below the line include:
- you want to vote for candidates within a group in the order of your choice
- you want to vote for candidates from different groups in the order of your choice
- you want to vote for ungrouped candidates in the order of your choice
- you want to vote for a mixture of grouped and ungrouped candidates.
If you vote below the line, do not put numbers in any squares above the line.
Where can you pre-poll?
Each LGA and ward has specific places that you can go to prepoll, follow the links below to find your closest pre-polling station:
Ballina Shire: Ward A, Ward B, Ward C
Kyogle Shire: Ward A, Ward B, Ward C
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