First-preference votes reveal Labor maintains stronghold in Canterbury-Bankstown

LABOR has a clear path to victory in Canterbury-Bankstown, with early polling results showing the favoured party is on track to claim nine of 15 councillor seats.

Labor frontrunners in Canterbury-Bankstown Council elections.

• Labor take the early lead in Canterbury-Bankstown
• Big field of choice in elections

LABOR has a clear path to victory in Canterbury-Bankstown, with early polling results showing the favoured party is on track to claim nine of 15 councillor seats.

As expected, the party took the lead early, showing the majority of first-preference votes in all five wards from 7pm.

Labor candidate for Bankstown ward Khal Asfour said his party are looking likely to secure up to nine seats on the council.

Late night results reveal that Labor are on track to claim two seats each in Bankstown, Bass Hill and Roselands.

The party will claim at least one each in Canterbury and Revesby.

The Labor Party majority was highest in Bass Hill ward, where lead Labor candidate Alex Kuskoff, helped his team secure 56 per cent of first-preference votes.

At 10pm, former Bankstown mayor and lead Labor candidate for Bankstown ward Khal Asfour, hadn’t declared victory yet but said early results suggested a clear coup.

“The results at this stage are pretty raw, it is only first-preference,” Mr Asfour said.

“But it’s looking very promising and we’re looking forward to declaring victory later tonight.

“The community has definitely made its voice heard.”

Mr Asfour said he thought Labor were in line to clean up “eight or maybe nine” seats.

The Liberal party could secure five seats across each of the wards.

So far none of the minor party or independent candidates have secured any seats.

Nearly three million voters in 46 electorates headed to the polls to pick their local councillors today.

Great to be out with Tony Burke at Canterbury Bankstown council elections Labor will protect local jobs and services #ausunions pic.twitter.com/ehzeDRJVFe

— Graeme Kelly (@GraemeKellyUSU) September 9, 2017

Helping local USU unionist Clare Raffan in the Canterbury Bankstown local govt election with @GraemeKellyUSU & @reidpj pic.twitter.com/4Sik2e2MzP

— Mark Morey (@moreymark) September 9, 2017

Canterbury-Bankstown had one of the largest number of pre-poll voters — meaning that a clear picture of the results will not likely be known until these early votes are counted.

The incoming councillors will be officially sworn in at the first council meeting on September 26.

From this date — 380,000 residents will have a chosen representative for the first time since the amalgamation in May last year.

Councillors will also be tasked with voting for the mayor and deputy mayor at their first meeting.

It is anticipated that all counts will be completed and results declared by next Saturday.

Follow the live results for Canterbury-Bankstown Council here: vtr.elections.nsw.gov.au/canterbury-bankstown