The rescheduled NSW Local Government Elections are coming up on Saturday 4 December 2021 and nominations have re-opened for residents who are interested in making a significant contribution to their community by running for Council.
Nominations are the process by which candidates can have their name included on ballot papers for the community to cast their vote come Election Day. Nominations can be lodged online from Monday, 25 October 2021 and close at 12 noon on Wednesday, 3 November 2021.
The Dubbo Region Mayor, Councillor Stephen Lawrence, said he is hoping to see many more candidates come forward before 3 November. “We are an electorate of approximately 50,000 and I’m hoping to see an influx of residents come forward to make this commitment to our community. It’s not an easy job, but it’s extremely rewarding. Candidates need to have a sincere passion for the region in which we live and want to make a genuine contribution inside and outside the Council chambers.”
The Mayor also emphasised the importance for voters to familiarise themselves with the candidates in their ward. “The ward system will still remain in place for this upcoming term of Council, which means residents will get to vote for the candidates who have nominated themselves in a specific ward. Residents can visit Council’s Local Government Election page to find out who the candidates are for each ward once they are announced on 4 November 2021 at 10am,” he said.
Nominations can now be made entirely online for the first time for local council elections via the Commission’s Nominations Online Management System (NOMS). At previous Local Government elections, submitting nominations was a purely paper-based process. Candidates may be nominated by either a registered political party or two electors.
A variety of helpful resources can be found online along with access to the NOMS. Hard copy forms are also available from elections.nsw.gov.au
Residents are also urged to check their enrolment information or register to vote if they haven’t already enrolled by 6pm tonight, Monday 25 October 2021. It’s easy to do and can also be found at elections.nsw.gov.au
For more information about the Local Government Elections, including key dates and handy ‘How to videos’ visit: www.dubbo.nsw.gov.au/localgovernmentelections
