If you live in the Kiama electorate and are over 18 you must vote in Saturday’s NSW byelection. Image: NSW Electoral Commission.
If you are one of the 60,391 eligible voters in the state electorate of Kiama – congratulations, you get to vote this Saturday 13 September.
Actually you don’t have a choice, voting is compulsory. If it appears you didn’t vote, you may receive an apparent failure to vote notice in the post. The penalty for not voting is a $55 fine.
Polling booths will open at 8 am and close at 6 pm.
What is a byelection?
Byelections happen whenever a vacancy occurs in the NSW Parliament. This can be because an MP has died, taken absence without leave, been disqualified or expelled from holding their seat, or resigned.
Kiama’s previous MP Gareth Ward resigned after he was found guilty of sexual assault charges and threatened with expulsion from NSW Parliament.
What does a state Member of Parliament (MP) actually do?
There are 93 NSW MPs who represent their constituents – that’s you.
In the electorate itself, the MP is required to perform a range of tasks, including taking requests for assistance and information from residents and helping to solve them or refer them to the appropriate minister or other authorities. They meet with local organisations, businesses, media and government departments and find out their needs; make representations to ministers on behalf of local organisations and individuals and are involved in local functions and meetings.
In the NSW Parliament, MPs attend sittings of parliament, consider proposed legislation, participate in debating and voting, participate in parliamentary committees and raise issues in parliament on behalf of constituents. Some MPs may have additional responsibilities such as being a minister.
What’s the history of the Kiama electorate?
The seat was created in 1981 and was held by the Labor Party from then until Mr Ward was elected as the Liberal member for Kiama in 2011.
He was re-elected in 2015 and again in 2019. He resigned from the Liberal Party in 2020 after being charged with the sexual offences for which he was eventually convicted.
Mr Ward was re-elected as an independent in 2023 despite the charges hanging over his head.
Who are the candidates?
There are 13 candidates standing in this byelection – head over to our story to learn more about each of them.
Although that sounds like an awful lot of names, according to Antony Green’s election blog, 13 candidates is not a record field. He refers to the 1987 Bankstown byelection (13 candidates), 1987 Heathcote byelection (16) and 1992 Davidson byelection (15).
Only six of the 13 candidates have an address in the Kiama electorate. Three more live further afield in the Illawarra.
So how do I vote?
On the ballot paper, voters are only required to put a number 1 next to their first choice, however they can continue to list their preferences consecutively from 2 to as many as 13. It is not a requirement to fill all boxes.
A ballot paper can be disregarded if the vote is informal, which could occur from using a combination of numbers and symbols on the one page, unclear intentions, multiple 1s or no markings at all.
Examples of how to vote (formal) and how NOT to vote (informal) votes are available on the NSW Electoral Commission website.
And where do I vote?
If you live in any of the following suburbs, you can find a voting centre nearby by heading to the NSW Electoral Commission website: Albion Park, Albion Park Rail, Back Forest, Bamarang, Bangalee, Barren Grounds, Barrengarry, Barringella, Beaumont, Bellawongarah, Berry, Berry Mountain, Bolong, Bomaderry, Bombo, Brogers Creek, Broughton, Broughton Vale, Broughton Village, Browns Mountain, Budderoo, Budgong, Bundewallah, Burrier, Calderwood, Cambewarra, Cambewarra Village, Carrington Falls, Coolangatta, Coolumburra, Croom, Curramore, Dunmore, Falls Creek, Far Meadow, Foxground, Gerringong, Gerroa, Illaroo, Jamberoo, Jaspers Brush, Jerrara, Kangaroo Valley, Kiama, Kiama Downs, Kiama Heights, Knights Hill, Longreach, Macquarie Pass, Marshall Mount, Meroo Meadow, Minnamurra, Moollattoo, Mundamia, North Nowra, Nowra, Nowra Hill, Parma, Quiera, Red Rocks, Rose Valley, Saddleback Mountain, Sassafras, Shoalhaven Heads, South Nowra, St George, Tapitallee, Tolwong, Tomerong, Tongarra, Toolijooa, Tullimbar, Upper Kangaroo River, Upper Kangaroo Valley, Watersleigh, Wattamolla, Werri Beach, West Nowra, Willow Vale, Woodhill, Woollamia, Yellow Rock, Yerriyong.
