More than one-fifth of ballot papers cast in the elections for Wollongong's ward 3 councillors will be scrapped because they are unmarked or filled out incorrectly.
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The NSW Electoral Commission's progressive tally of votes showed that 21.7 per cent of votes counted for ward 3 - which encompassed the city's southern suburbs - were informal as of Monday afternoon.
This was a significant increase on the figure of 8.7 per cent recorded in the 2017 election.
The proportion of informal votes in ward 1 was 12.9 per cent - up from 5.9 per cent last election - while informal votes in ward 2 rose from 6.8 per cent to 13.5 per cent.
Ward 1 Greens councillor and mayoral candidate Mithra Cox suspected the high rate of informal votes tallied so far was due to some residents being confused about how to fill out their ballot paper when voting for candidates in their ward.
Cr Cox added it was not helped by the COVID-19 restrictions which prohibited candidates and volunteers handing out the usual 'how to vote' flyers as people walked into booths.
There was also a high rate of informal votes in Shellharbour's three contested wards, ranging from 15 per cent in ward C to 19 per cent in ward B.
However, there have been far fewer informal votes counted in the mayoral contests, as well as Kiama.
Meanwhile, independent candidate Gordon Bradbery had crept ahead of Labor challenger Tania Brown in Wollongong's lord mayoral race as of 5pm Monday.
Cr Bradbery held 29.71 per cent of first preference votes compared to Cr Brown's 29.41 per cent.
However, this represents a gap of just 223 votes - only 78,574 votes from a registered 154,555 electors have been tallied.
First preferences indicate at least four Labor candidates - Cr Janice Kershaw in ward 1, Tania Brown in ward 2, and Ann Martin and Linda Campbell in ward 3 - will likely be elected to Wollongong council.
Incumbent councillors Mithra Cox and Liberal Cameron Walters also look set to represent ward 1.
The Greens' Cath Blakey and John Dorahy from the Liberals will likely join Cr Brown again in representing ward 2, but the ward's fourth councillor is difficult to pick.
While his future as lord mayor still hangs in the balance, ward 3's Gordon Bradbery looks assured of at least a place on the council.
In Shellharbour, independent Chris Homer still has a slight edge on Labor incumbent Marianne Saliba.
Mr Homer is 818 votes ahead, with 51.92 per cent of the votes that have been counted.
But again, there are still a possible 33,362 votes left to count.
Ward A voters look to have chosen independents Kellie Marsh and Shane Bitschkat over their Labor rivals.
But Labor's Moira Hamilton seems to have won a spot in ward B, although who will join her is too close to call.
Both independent Chris Homer and Lou Stefanovski from Labor are on track to represent ward C, while ward D's Rob Petreski (Labor) and Jacqueline Graf (independent) are elected unopposed.
Kiama voters appear to have elected Greens candidates Kathy Rice (for another term) and Jodi Keast, as well S.A.F.E. Kiama's Karen Renkema-Lang, Labor candidate Imogen Draisma, incumbents Neil Reilly and Matt Brown, and Your Community Candidates' Mark Croxford.
The remaining three positions are still up for grabs.
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Natalie Croxon
Reporter at the Illawarra Mercury, mostly covering social affairs. Previously of the Bendigo Advertiser, Northern Daily Leader and Quirindi Advocate. Our Watch award winner.
Reporter at the Illawarra Mercury, mostly covering social affairs. Previously of the Bendigo Advertiser, Northern Daily Leader and Quirindi Advocate. Our Watch award winner.
