As the countless posters of local politicians at every bus stop in New South Wales might have hinted to you, the state has a council election coming up. Here’s everything you need to know about the NSW council election on Saturday.
It’s local election time, people! And based on the buzz on the street, NSW voters are going absolutely bonkers with enthusiasm for the opportunity to cast their ballots and have a say in which members make up their local council.
Okay, fine. I’ll admit it isn’t as sexy as voting for a prime minister or a state premier. But you can’t spell “mayoral election” without oral, and for that reason alone I think it is something to get excited about.
That said, there are a tonne of questions you might need answered about where and how to vote in the NSW council election — or where you can get yourself a coveted democracy sausage.
Plus there’s also some juicy political gossip and mess-ups that are interesting and could impact the way you vote!
So let’s stop faffing around and get down to business.
When is the NSW council election?
The NSW council elections are held every four years on the second Saturday of September.
With the last council election being held in 2020, the four-year wait is up, so the next NSW council election will be on Saturday, September 14. AKA this Saturday.
So make Hilary Clinton proud this Saturday and “Pokemon go to the polls”.
@hillaryclintonclips Iconic ⚡️ #hillaryclinton #vote #politics #pokemon #pokemongo #usa #laugh #democrat #democrat #viral #fyp #foryou #funny ♬ original sound – hillaryclintonclips
Where do I vote in the NSW council election?
Just like in other government elections, voting in the NSW council election is mandatory by law, with a $65 fine dished out to anyone over 18 who doesn’t vote. So for that reason, it’s crucial to know where you need to go to vote.
On September 14, voting centres will be open across the state from 8am to 6pm.
To find your nearest voting centre and what electorate you need to vote in: follow this link, enter your address, and you will be given your council electorate with a map of the nearest polling centres.
How do I vote early?
For folks who can’t get their vote on this Saturday, there are a few other ways to vote.
Early voting is available for people who meet the criteria, and can be done in person at dedicated pre-polling centres (found using the same link as before). Pre-polling is open from September 7 and closes on September 13.
The criteria for voting early in the NSW council election include:
- will be outside your ward or council area on election day.
- will be more than 8km from a voting centre (polling place) in your ward or council area on election day.
- will be travelling and unable to attend a voting centre on election day.
- are seriously ill or infirm, and due to such illness or infirmity will be unable to attend a voting centre.
- are approaching maternity.
- have religious membership or beliefs that prevent you from attending a voting centre on election day.
- are in a correctional centre and prevented from attending a voting centre on election day.
- are caring for a person outside of a hospital setting, which prevents you from attending a voting centre on election day.
- will be working on election day.
- are a silent elector (AKA, you believe you should not have your address on your ballot for safety reasons).
- are a person with a disability.
- believe that attending a voting centre on election day will place your personal safety or the safety of your family at risk.
Telephone-assisted voting is also available before and on election day for vision-impaired voters.
How is the council election different from the federal and state elections?
If you’re a NSW resident reading this and thinking “But didn’t I vote last year? And the year before that?” then fret not! There is a reasonable explanation.
Australia has three levels of government with their own individual levels of power. And while they may be the most humble tier of government, councils are still important.
Councils make choices around city planning and infrastructure, managing and creating parks, and local waste management and bin collection.
So no matter how much rubbish you think the average politician spews from their mouth, at least one level of government is dedicated to cleaning it up.
Plus in some electorates, such as Sydney, you get the extra fun of voting for a mayor! More details on how to fill out your ballot can be found in the video below.
Where are the Liberal candidates?
This is where the fun political gossip comes in.
You know how when you were in school you always got told that you had to get your homework done on time, because in the real world nobody cuts you slack if you miss a crucial deadline.
Well, something like that happened to the NSW Liberal Party in the lead-up to the council election this year.
In what could be one of the funniest political screw-ups of all time, the NSW Liberal Party failed to nominate 140 council candidates across 16 local government areas.
And though at first they tried to get an extension on the deadline, the electoral commission told them that they had plenty of time to do the work earlier, and wouldn’t be given an extension.
Then, in a move that feels exactly like a student having a tantrum about not being given extra time on an assignment, the party briefly threatened to take the electoral commission to court over its own failure.
As a result of this mistake, some state councils will have no candidates running in the upcoming election. These councils include:
- Northern Beaches
- Shoalhaven
- Wollongong
- Campbelltown
- Blue Mountains
- Cessnock
Are there democracy sausages?
As all Aussies know, participating in elections is a hunger-inducing activity. And it is for this reason that the true backbone of our nation’s democracy is the people who run sausage sizzle stalls at their voting locations. Or those people in Victoria who served champagne and oysters.
If you want to know which voting locations near you will be running BBQs and cake stalls, with soft drinks and vegan options, then click here to visit the Democracy Sausage website and find out.
No matter how cynical you might be of politics and elections, there is one thing you can’t be a hater toward, and that’s a good feed after casting a ballot.
So good luck out there cool-cats, and remember: vote responsibly.
[Image: Getty]
The post How To Vote In Saturday’s NSW Local Council Elections (And Not Cop A Fine) appeared first on PEDESTRIAN.TV .
