Elections
NSW Local Government Elections are generally conducted every four years and voting is compulsory. Singleton Council has a popularly elected Mayor, together with nine Councillors.
The last general election for Singleton Council’s Mayor and Councillors was held on Saturday 4 December 2021. This election was delayed from September 2020 due to the COVID-19 Pandemic.
The Councillor election was declared void by the Supreme Court due to a failure of the iVote system and a by-election was held on Saturday 30 July 2022. You can view the results of the by-election here and the Declaration of Councillor here.
The next ordinary election will be held in September 2024.
All elected members must lodge a declaration listing all political donations received and electoral expenditure incurred. A register of these declarations is available on the NSW Electoral Commission website.
Voting
Voting is compulsory for all residents and fines may apply for not voting. To check you are correctly enrolled or to obtain an enrolment form visit the Electoral Commission website, phone T 1300 135 736 or get a form from any Australia Post Office.
Non - Residential Rolls
The non-residential rolls provide people who are non-resident owners, occupiers and rate-paying lessees of rateable land within the Singleton Council area an opportunity to have a say in who is elected to Council.
There are two non-residential rolls:
- the roll of non-resident owners of rateable land; and
- the roll of occupiers and rate-paying lessees.
These two rolls are combined with the residential roll to form the roll of electors for the Council area, which is used during an election. The residential roll is the list of people who live in the Council area and are eligible to vote in elections.
Further information on the non-residential rolls can be viewed here.
How to become a Councillor
If you are passionate about what happens in Singleton community, becoming a Councillor is an exciting opportunity to make a difference and to represent the interests of our residents.
Council is responsible for making significant decisions that have a far-reaching impact on our community. For all you need to know about being a Councillor, including the Councillor Handbook, please visit the Office of Local Government website or contact Council’s Coordinator Governance, Larissa Britton.
For more information about registering to commence campaigning and nominating to become a Councillor please refer to the NSW Electoral Commission website.
NSW State Election Reminder Facility
This facility allows electors to register for an email and/or SMS to be sent whenever a Local Government or State Parliamentary (not Federal Government) election event for which you are enrolled is pending. The information provided will also be used by the NSW Electoral Commission to contact citizens as part of electoral enrolment and/or election event processes.
Register for the reminder service
Work at an Election
The NSW Electoral Commission offers opportunities to work at state and local government elections. Work is available on election days and throughout election periods, the weeks before and after election days.
Working at an election is a great opportunity to learn new skills and meet people, while you also play a valuable part in contributing to democracy. The NSW Electoral Commission look for staff to work as election officials during the election period. Staff receive training, support and a competitive pay rate.
Click here for more information.
Election Campaign Signage
Singleton Council has an adopted Election Campaign Signage Policy which outlines the requirements in relation to the placement of election campaign signage within the Singleton Local Government Area during Federal, State and Local Government elections.
Election campaign signage is generally considered temporary in nature and duration.
Political advertising on Council owned, controlled or managed land or infrastructure is prohibited. This allows Council to remain impartial during election campaigns and ensures that all candidates have equal opportunities to display election signage.
You can view the policy here.