Local Government elections have been postponed again due to the coronavirus pandemic.
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A total of 126 councils were scheduled to hold elections in September 2020 to appoint councillors and in some cases, mayors. Last year it was announced the elections would be moved to September 2021 due to concerns about the pandemic.
On Saturday the NSW Government announced elections would be pushed back again to Saturday, December 4, 2021.
Minister for Local Government Shelley Hancock said the decision, after extensive consultation with and advice from the NSW Electoral Commission and NSW Health, has been made in response to the current COVID-19 outbreak in NSW.
"We have taken this step to postpone the election to ensure the safety and wellbeing of our communities, voters, polling staff and candidates," Mrs Hancock said.
iVote (electronic voting) will also be available for the first time.
The NSW Government has implemented changes to pre-poll to ensure that voters have 13 days to cast their ballot, reducing congestion on polling day.
In this election, 5.2 million voters will cast their ballots as around 5,000 candidates vie for 1,200 councillor positions across 125 local councils.
Nominations will open on Monday 25 October 2021 and close on Wednesday 3 November 2021.
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