Local Council elections in New South Wales will be held on Saturday, 9 September 2017.
However, not all councils are holding elections. To check whether your Council is going to have an election, please visit www.votensw.info/is_my_council_holding_an_election or call 1300 135 736.
Voting is compulsory for all people enrolled in areas where elections are being held and fines apply for not voting, so it is important that you know if you need to vote.
There are three ways you can vote in this election:
- Vote by post or
- Vote at your early voting (Pre-poll) venue before Election Day or
- Vote at your Polling Place on Election Day, the 9th of September.
Braille Ballot Papers
People who are blind or vision impaired can register for Ballot Papers to be provided to them in Braille for the Local Council Elections on September 9th, 2017.
- To do this, you need to register with the NSW Electoral Commission by phoning 1300 135 736
- You can register between 9am on Monday 10th July and 5pm on Wednesday 9th August 2017
- You will need to make a verbal declaration that you are eligible for Braille voting.
Braille Ballot papers can be:
- posted to you at home or an address that you choose or
- delivered to an early voting (pre-poll) venue within your council area or
- delivered to a polling place that you choose, within your council area.
What happens after I have registered?
Braille voting instructions and Braille ballot papers will be sent to the place you nominated when registering, along with a declaration envelope to place your completed ballot papers in.
If you are voting by post, you will also be provided with a return pre-paid envelope.
What happens to my vote after that?
Returned Braille ballot papers will be confidentially transcribed and then added to the rest of the ballot papers for that council for counting.
Voting on Election Day
There is no ‘Absent Voting’ at local government elections: You must vote at a polling place inside the local government area or ward in which you are enrolled.
A list of polling places are available on the website www.votensw.info, or by calling 1300 135 736.
If you need help: you can take a friend or relative to help you, or you can ask an election official.
At the polling place, you can ask for: a magnifier or a Maxi pen.
You will get one or more ballot papers to complete. Every Council area is different. Always follow the instructions on the ballot paper to make sure your vote is counted!
For more information, visit the election website: www.votensw.info or phone 1300 135 736