With the Liberal Party nomination fiasco leaving East Ward void of candidates outside of Labor, do local residents still have to go to the polls on September 14 as a formality?
The answer is no.
Those living in East Ward suburbs like Caddens, Claremont Meadows, St Marys, St Clair, Erskine Park, Colyton and parts of Kingswood will be excused from voting.
They’ll also miss out on a democracy sausage.
The NSW Electoral Commission has confirmed that as East Ward is uncontested, voting will not occur. That means no polling places will be set up for East Ward residents on September 14.
South Ward and North Ward residents still have to vote on September 14.
Labor is the only ticket running in East Ward, meaning all five candidates on the ticket will be elected to Council.
Todd Carney is leading Labor’s ticket in East Ward.
Troy Dodds
Troy Dodds is the Weekender's Managing Editor and Breaking News Reporter. He has more than 20 years experience as a journalist, working with some of Australia's leading media organisations. In 2023, he was named Editor of the Year at the Mumbrella Publish Awards.