How to pre-vote, postal vote and iVote – plus useful dates around the Hawkesbury Council election

Here’s a quick explainer about the different ways you can potentially vote, and the crucial dates in the upcoming Hawkesbury Council election.

We’ve got the key dates around this election at the end of this piece but the important ones right now are that tomorrow – Wednesday – at noon, anyone who wants to stand for election has to be on the official Electoral Commission list.

On Thursday we get the ballot paper draw, so this will tell us how the parties and groups, and individual candidates are listed on the ballot paper – in which order they will appear.

Then we have a month of campaigning…during which we will showcase each party and group and individuals so you can get a good idea of who’s standing and exactly what they are standing for. Our coverage won’t be a copy and paste from candidates’ media or public information, but an in-depth look at each of them to help you form an opinion.

Although the poll closes on December 4, we won’t get final results until Thursday December 23, and then it will be progressive, so not all results at the same time. So, a happy Christmas for some, maybe not so much for others…

Right now though, let’s look at the ways you can vote.

Postal voting

You can apply now for a postal vote if you:

* will be outside your ward or council area

* will be more than 8km from a polling place

* will be travelling

* are seriously ill, disabled or approaching childbirth (or caring for someone who is).

* have religious beliefs that prevent you from attending

* are in prison or a correctional centre

* will be working

* are a silent elector. Note: You must already be registered with the Australian Electoral Commission (AEC) as a silent elector

* are a person with a disability

* believe that attending will pose a risk to your personal safety or the safety of your family.

Apply here for a postal vote.

Pre-polling

Early voting or pre-poll is available from Monday November 22 to Friday December 3.

Any person enrolled to vote may vote by pre-poll.

There are 2 booths in the Hawkesbury where you can pre-poll.

They are:

Hawkesbury Returning Officer’s Office

18 Macquarie Street, Windsor NSW 2756

Features: Assisted access, No designated accessible parking spot, Path of travel may be difficult

Opening Hours: 22 Nov 2021 – 03 Dec 2021 Mon – Sat: 9:00am – 5:00pm

Richmond School of Arts

26 West Market Street, Richmond NSW 2753

Features: Assisted access, No designated accessible parking spot, No accessible toilet

Opening Hours: 22 Nov 2021 – 03 Dec 2021 Mon – Sat: 9:00am – 5:00pm

(We will provide a full list of other voting booths nearer election day)

iVote and telephone voting

You can vote using iVote if you:

* are blind or have low vision

* are unable to vote without assistance or have difficulty voting at a polling place because you have a disability or have difficulties reading

* are a silent elector

* applied for a postal vote but did not receive your postal ballot papers before 5pm on November 26 (only available eight days before election day)

* live more than 20 kilometres from a polling place, or

* will not be within your council area during election day.

iVote timeline

* Monday November 22: iVote applications and voting opens. * Saturday, December 4: iVote applications close at 1pm and iVote voting closes at 6pm. * Monday, December 6: iVote receipt portal closes at 6pm.

This election’s key dates

Wednesday November 3

* 12 noon: Close of nominations and close of registration of candidates and groups.

Thursday November 4

* 10am: Ballot paper draw.

Monday November 22

* iVote applications and voting opens. * Pre-poll voting period opens. * Display of registered electoral material on the NSW Electoral Commission website begins.

Monday November 29

* 5pm: Close of postal vote applications. * Last day to apply to be registered as a third-party campaigner.

Friday December 3

* Close of pre-poll voting period.

Saturday December 4 – Election Day * 8am – 6pm * 1pm: iVote applications close. * 6pm: iVote voting closes.

Monday December 6

* 6pm: iVote receipt portal closes.

Friday December 17

* 6pm: Return of completed postal vote certificates closes.

Monday December 20 & Tuesday December 21

* Distribution of preference votes

Thursday December 23

* Election results begin to flow…

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