NSW Deputy Premier John Barilaro was “almost 100 per cent certain” the state’s local government election would go ahead as planned this year.
Speaking to regional media on Tuesday, Mr Barilaro said the NSW government was not intending to move local elections to postal voting or postpone them for a second time in light of the state’s COVID-19 tsunami.
Elections have already been postponed twice, once from last September to the same month this year due to the pandemic, and again to December when the current outbreak started in Sydney.
They are scheduled to take place on Saturday, December 4, in all NSW LGAs, with nominations to become a councillor open from October 25 until November 3 and councils entering a caretaker period a month out from polling day.
While this year’s local government elections will be the first in NSW to allow voters to cast their ballot online, as well as in person or by post, Mr Barilaro was confident NSW was on track to hit vaccination targets that would allow the polling day to go ahead as normal.
“If you look at the projections and the target that we’re talking about, we should be at 70 per cent fully vaccinated by the middle of October, and by the middle of November 80 per cent fully vaccinated,” he said.
“It allows us to get back to a level of normal and that includes having elections in December.”
But Mr Barilaro acknowledged the electoral commission needed to be ready for “a curveball” like the current Delta outbreak.
“There’s always contingency plans in case of another outbreak,” he said.
“We don’t know what COVID will do (but) I’m almost 100 per cent certain that the fourth of December will be local government elections.”
To check your enrolment on the electoral roll, visit check.aec.gov.au
