Everything you need to know about local council elections

Mark your diaries: Saturday, September 14. Local council election day.

You might have worked that out by the spritely looking candidates standing outside your train station and bus stop, or by the corflutes that have been popping up under every street sign.

Local government elections are on Saturday, September 14.Credit: Dean Sewell

And after weeks of rigorous debate, intense competition and some council chaos, it comes down to this.

Here’s everything you need to know.

Why do I need to vote?

Local councils do far more than pick up your rubbish. They might be a little less polished than their state and federal counterparts, but that doesn’t make them any less important. As Australia’s third level of government, local councils are key to delivering important services such as planning town centres, creating public infrastructure including libraries and parks and, yes, collecting bins.

Local government elections are about voting for who you want to do that for the next four years.

Where and when can I vote?

On election day – Saturday, September 14 – polling booths across the state will open at 8am and close at 6pm. You need to vote at a location within your council area and your ward (a smaller section of your council area). You can find your nearest voting booth by entering your address on the NSW Electoral Commission’s homepage.

What are we voting on?

No matter where you live in NSW, you’ll be voting on the people you want to sit on your council. The number of councillors varies from nine to 15 in most Sydney LGAs.

In some councils, in addition to voting on councillors, residents have a separate vote for who should be mayor. And in a few councils, people will vote in referendums on changing the number of councillors (this is a question for Woollahra Council, for instance).

How do I vote?

When you look at your ballot for councillors in most Sydney councils, you’ll have the choice of voting one of two ways: above or below the line.

If you vote above the line, you’re voting for a group of councillors who have joined together by team or party. Put a “1” in the group of your first preference.

That means you’re voting for the people listed below the thick black line directly underneath the team, in the order they appear on the ballot. You can keep numbering your preferences until all the boxes are filled.

If you vote below the line, instead of voting by group, you vote by person. Number at least the minimum number of people that the directions for voting instruct you to on your ballot.

A similar process is followed for mayoral votes. For polls and referendums, you’ll generally be asked to mark a Yes or No box (similar to the way the Voice to parliament was voted on in 2023). Make sure you follow the ballot instructions for how to enter your vote.

Can I vote early?

Yes – if you meet eligibility criteria. Early voting centres are open from Saturday, September 6. But you must still vote within your council area.

How will I know who to vote for?

Find out who is running in your area by visiting the Electoral Commission’s site. Many candidates have social media pages and websites to tell you about their policies.

Luckily, The Sydney Morning Herald has conducted a poll of the candidates up for election in your council area. You can access your candidates’ answers here.

But consider all the information you’re being told: disinformation is regularly employed around election times.

Wait, why can’t I vote for the Liberals?

In certain councils, the Liberal Party missed the deadline to nominate their candidates for election. These areas include the Northern Beaches, Shoalhaven, Wollongong, Campbelltown, the Blue Mountains and Cessnock.

Residents in Penrith’s east ward are not required to vote. All five Labor candidates will fill the five roles available.

When will we know who won?

Counting begins almost as soon as polls close at 6pm, and continues until 10pm on September 14. We’ll get a good idea of the make-up of some councils fairly soon that evening, but for situations where the votes are tighter, we’ll need to wait until Sunday and the following days for more counting to be done.

What if I don’t vote?

You’ll be fined – and you’d miss out on the rare opportunity to have a say about who leads your community, and the chance to snag a democracy sausage from a local community group.

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