NSW votes in council elections

VOTERS across the Northern Rivers and the rest of NSW will head to the polls tomorrow (September 14) as fresh candidates and seasoned incumbents vie for the opportunity to influence the future direction of their communities.

Ahead of the vote, the NSW Electoral Commission has introduced several measures aimed at ensuring the 2024 NSW Local Government elections are conducted safely and transparently.

This comes as voters face an increasing exposure to false and misleading information about electoral processes.

Acting NSW Electoral Commissioner Dr Matthew Phillips said that public trust in election outcomes is closely tied to the integrity of electoral processes.

A 2023 NSW State election survey found that 85 per cent of participants had high levels of satisfaction with the fairness and impartiality of the election, and 90 per cent had confidence in the election results.

“These are encouraging results, but there are emerging threats to these high levels of satisfaction and confidence in the delivery of elections in NSW,” Dr Phillips said.

Dr Phillips warned that misinformation circulating in the community could undermine public confidence in both the process and results of elections.

To combat this, the NSW Electoral Commission has launched its 2024-25 regulatory priorities, continues to update the NSW Electoral Commission’s Disinformation Register, and is running a ‘Stop and Consider’ advertising campaign aimed at helping voters identify disinformation.

In addition, the Electoral Commission is actively monitoring media and social media for misinformation, responding where necessary to provide correct information.

“Disinformation in relation to elections will be a continuing issue, but we can help reduce its impact and support voters to recognise it when they see it, particularly as it becomes more and more sophisticated,” Dr Phillips said.

The Disinformation Register, introduced during the 2023 NSW State election, will be updated in the lead-up to the 2024 NSW Local Government elections to counter false claims about electoral processes.

“We do not comment on whether campaign claims made by political participants (or their supporters) are true or false,” Dr Phillips said.

“As the independent administrator and regulator of elections in NSW, our focus is on the integrity of the electoral process itself.”

For more information about polling locations and candidates, visit elections.nsw.gov.au.