WATCH: How to fill in your ballot papers for the 2024 NSW Local government elections
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00:00Local government elections will be held on Saturday, September 14.
00:08New South Wales is divided into local government areas.
00:12Each local government area is managed by a council and voters in each area elect people
00:17to represent them on the council.
00:20Voting is compulsory.
00:22Watch this video to understand how to complete your ballot papers.
00:26Preparing to vote.
00:28If you are planning to vote in person before Election Day or in person on Election Day,
00:34check where you can vote by visiting elections.nsw.gov.au.
00:40Enter the address of where you are enrolled to vote to find a list of polling places and
00:45information about each venue's opening hours and accessibility.
00:50Completing your ballot papers.
00:52When it comes time to vote, you will be given one or more ballot papers to complete, depending
00:57on which council area or council ward you are enrolled in.
01:01All voters will be given a council ballot paper to complete.
01:05You may also receive a mayoral ballot paper, a referendum ballot paper and or a poll ballot
01:11paper.
01:12Read the instructions on each ballot paper carefully.
01:16Councillor.
01:17The directions for voting on the ballot paper shows the minimum number of candidates you
01:21must vote for in order for your vote to count.
01:25Add the number 1 in the voting square next to the candidate of your first choice, the
01:29number 2 in the voting square next to your second choice candidate, and so on, until
01:35you have voted for the minimum number of candidates required.
01:39You can vote for more candidates if you wish.
01:42Some councils are divided into smaller areas called wards.
01:46If you live in one of these councils, you will vote for councillors to represent your
01:50ward, who will join councillors from other wards on the council.
01:55In some councils, the ballot paper will have a thick line running across the page, with
01:59voting squares both above and below the line.
02:03On these ballot papers, you can mark your preferences either above the line or below
02:08the line.
02:10Voting above the line.
02:12If you vote above the line, you must write the number 1 in the voting square next to
02:17the group of your first choice.
02:19By doing this, you are voting for that whole group of candidates in the order they are
02:23listed below that square.
02:26You can vote for more groups by writing the numbers 2, 3, and so on in order of your preference.
02:32If you vote above the line, do not write numbers in any squares below the line.
02:38Voting below the line.
02:40You vote below the line if 1.
02:43You want to vote for candidates within a group in the order of your choice, 2.
02:48You want to vote for candidates from different groups in the order of your choice, 3.
02:53You want to vote for ungrouped candidates in the order of your choice, 4.
02:57You want to vote for a mixture of grouped and ungrouped candidates in the order of your
03:01choice.
03:03To vote below the line, write the number 1 in the square next to the candidate of your
03:07first choice, write 2 in the square next to your second preference, 3 in the square next
03:13to your third preference, and so on.
03:16For your vote to count, you must select the minimum number of candidates as indicated
03:22in the directions for voting.
03:24If you vote below the line, do not write numbers in any squares above the line.
03:30Mayor.
03:31In some councils, the mayor is elected directly by the voters.
03:34If you live in one of these areas, you will also receive a ballot paper for the mayoral
03:38election.
03:40If you have to complete a mayoral ballot paper, you must write the number 1 in the voting
03:44square next to the candidate of your first choice.
03:48You can vote for more candidates by writing the numbers 2, 3, and so on in order of your
03:54preference.
03:55In other councils, the mayor is chosen by the councillors after the election.
04:01Referendum or poll.
04:02Some councils may also hold a referendum or a poll.
04:06This could be a question about changing the way the mayor or councillors are elected in
04:10the future, or a poll about an issue in your community.
04:14To complete a referendum or poll paper, follow the instructions to answer yes or no.
04:20Voting by post.
04:22If you apply for a postal vote, or you are registered as a postal voter for every election,
04:27you will receive your ballot papers in the mail.
04:31You will also have other information to complete, such as a postal vote certificate.
04:36A witness needs to sign and date the postal vote certificate in the spaces provided.
04:41If you need help to understand the postal vote instructions, and to complete your ballot
04:45papers and postal vote certificate, you can ask a family member, friend, or carer to help
04:51you.
04:52Please read the instructions carefully.
04:55For your postal vote to be counted, your completed ballot papers and postal vote certificate
05:00must be received by the NSW Electoral Commission by 6pm on Friday, September 27, 2024.
05:08Further assistance.
05:10If you need further assistance completing your ballot papers, you can ask an election
05:14official if you are voting in person at a polling place, or take a friend, family member,
05:20or carer with you.
05:22Your vote is secret, but if you need help, it's okay to take someone to the voting screen
05:27with you.
05:28Similarly, you can ask a friend, family member, or carer for help if you are completing a
05:33postal vote ballot paper and postal vote certificate.
05:37For more information about the 2024 local government elections, visit elections.nsw.gov.au